Fate And Consequences
by Miz Thang
Summary: Once A Blast From The Past. Katherine Price is an old friend of Spike's. She changes things, things that could be fate and makes Buffy inexplicably jealous. But, for everything she changes, there is a consequence, and soon she'll learn.
1. Jealous Much?

Spoilers: up to season 6 – end of "As You Were" AU afterwards

Distribution: just tell me

Feedback: if you wanna…I'll write anyway…

Authors Notes: This is my way (with an OC) of giving my

Spike all the loving and caring he deserves (especially with that Buffy-violent-sex crap during season six). Oh, and happy endings all around (Willow and Tara, Xander doesn't be a dumbass- enough said). Oh yeah warning: major Buffy bashing and just telling her off cuz, truth be told, she just really pissed me off that season. Kat's job is to make Buffy angry, pissed and miserable. That's what I pay her to do. She is NOT a Mary Sue.

P.S., I barely know what's happening on Angel during this season. But this is what I'm doing:

One: No Connor. He's creepy and broody and there's enough of that with Angel.

Two: No Pregnant! Darla. That just means Connor (or baby Connor), which just leads right up to what I said about the boy in the first place.

Three: Fred doesn't spend all her time in her room. She's well adjusted. And they didn't bring Groo.

**Chapter One: Jealous, Much?**

All she did was watch. She watched the Slayer and her friends. Watched them laugh and talk and shoot dirty looks at the bleached-blonde at the bar. She knew who he was. He was a master vampire from the Order of Aurelius. He was William The Bloody. Also Known As Spike, The Slayer Of Slayers.

But he was more than that to her. He was an old friend and the last thing she was going to do would be to let him just sit there and soak up the abuse. She'd let him have a little fun of his own-with her.

Spike sat at the bar, not knowing why he was even at the Bronze. It wasn't like he could eat any of the young people-hadn't been able to in two years. He wasn't even sure he still wanted to. And he was setting himself up for trouble by being there while the Slayer and her friends were.

A woman with long blonde hair that ran down her back in soft waves and blue-gray eyes stood up from her table in the corner of the club. She made her way from the table to the bar. More specifically, to Spike. When she reached him, she ran her hands from his shoulders down his chest and abs and leaned her mouth to his ear.

"You **do** know that nothin' good comes out of being in Sunnydale, don't you, William?" a soft, female British voice whispered in his ear. It still held the hard edge of the rough neighborhood she was from an odd couple of centuries ago.

Spike turned around at the familiar voice and grinned. "Yeah, especially when **you're** in Sunnyhell. Speakin' of which, why **are** you here?" he asked as she sat on his lap.

It seemed like everyone on the entire bloody club was watching them as the blonde straddled Spike's lap. But it was only the Scooby Gang watching in surprise and disgust.

Buffy especially couldn't believe the girl. "Does she know what he is? He's a vampire-"

"That can't bite anything." Xander added. "Let him have some fun. Not like she'll stay with him anyway. Why are we even talking about him?"

The female wrapped her arms around Spike's neck. "Hiatus. A very **long** hiatus. If I like it, I just might move here." She paused and they each took in the others' appearance, appreciating and liking what they saw. "I don't believe you." She hit his chest, playfully feigning disbelief.

"What did I do?" Spike asked her, amused by her actions.

"Haven't seen you in three soddin' years an' you still haven' given your fave girl a kiss." She said to him, a pout on her face.

Spike continued to grin. Why should he dwell over Buffy when a perfectly beautiful woman was willing to be with him at the moment? Buffy ended it with him. Time to cut his loses, move on.

Spike put his hands on his friends' hips as she leaned towards Spike slowly. Their lips met and they both took it further, opening their mouths and pushing their tongues into the others' mouth. Spike pulled her closer to him, unable to believe he forgot how great a kisser she was.

Back at Buffy's table, Anya announced, "I think they're orgasm friends." Everyone looked at her. "Sorry." She said, even though she didn't regret it. She still hadn't recognized her old friend.

"That's just…really uncalled for." Buffy said, watching the couple make out in the bar. _Oh, yeah. And a couple months ago after Willow's botched memory spell you didn't do the same thing against the pillar._ She thought sarcastically. For a minute, she wished she were in that woman's place. That was just a bad thought. _You don't want Spike. You just told him it was over. And you meant it._

"No offense, Buff, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous." Xander commented.

_Well you don't, say so …_ Buffy thought.

But he didn't stop there. He continued. "But then again…that's Spike. The Evil Undead. A vampire. What's there to be jealous of?"

"He has the bad boy look and a tight muscular body. There's the sexy British accent. The fact that that girl is straddling him and he has a nice ass." Anya answered the rhetorical question with absolutely no tact whatsoever.

"Uh, Ahn," The dark haired boy turned to his fiancé, "when and why were you looking at Spike's ass?"

"When he was living at Giles'. I was bored. But don't worry honey, yours is probably better naked." Anya turned to look at the two blondes again. "Ooh, they're leaving. Orgasm friends." She confirmed proudly.

Buffy looked at the back exit to the alley where they were, in fact, leaving. They looked like they knew each other for years, but somehow, Buffy doubted that.

From their table near the exit, they could barely hear the scream of a female over the music, but it was still there. Buffy automatically jumped out her seat and sprinted out the door, wondering how much she'd have to kill Spike. Her friends followed suit, as always.

Outside, a fledgling vampire was in the act of trying to bite a girl who was screaming her lungs out. Spike's friend looked at the fledgling and, disturbingly calm, said, "Y'know, I think you should leave the bird alone."

The vampire turned from the girl's neck. "Or what?"

"Or you'll be a big pile o'dust in a min." The woman said.

Spike smirked. "Now, now, Katherine, let's not patronize the helpless vamp."

"Why not?" Katherine asked. She stepped forward towards the vampire. "No one's ever taught you properly, have they? You're pathetic. I mean, you go to the one place the Slayer is known to be, and you try to feed. Well, I may not be the bloody Slayer, thank the Powers, but I **can** kill you. An' I will."

Buffy and the gang watched as the fledgling roared in outrage and lunged at Katherine. Katherine was ready and expecting it, so she easily and instantly kicked him in the gut. She immediately followed with a spin kick that threw the vampire into the wall.

Spike and Katherine shared a smile as the blonde vampire leaned up against a wall and took out a cigarette. He pulled a stake out his duster and tossed it to her. She caught it perfectly and turned back to the vampire. He got up slowly and lunged at Katherine again. Katherine ducked and threw him over her shoulder.

"I'd think that by now," she kicked the down fledgling in the ribs. He flew two feet above ground and back into a wall. "You'd have thought, 'I should get my soddin' ass the hell outta here 'cause the demi-god's going to kill me'. But noooo. You continue." When the fledgling couldn't get up, she stalked towards it. "Bored now." She sounded much like Vamp Willow to the Scooby Gang's horror. She staked it and stepped back before it turned to a cloud of dust.

Katherine tucked the stake into her jacket as Spike stubbed out his cigarette. She headed over to the traumatized girl and noticed Buffy and her friends. "Ooh, an audience." She rolled her eyes and continued her journey.

"Thank you." The girl whispered. Her eyes were full of gratitude and fear.

Katherine shrugged at the girl. "It was fun. Close your eyes." The girl complied. Katherine pressed her right hand to the girl's forehead. "You'll never travel 'lone at night. You'll never leave public places with cold, extra-pale men or women an' you'll start to wear the gold an' silver cross your grandmother gave you. You'll carry a bottle of holy water in your purse with your mace and never go into the park, cemetery or alleys after dark. Open your eyes."

The girl opened her eyes and Katherine helped her stand. "Thanks. I better call a friend to pick me up. Y'know, it's not safe to walk around after dark and all, Especially with the weird things around in Sunnydale." The girl walked to the end of the alley and stayed under a street lamp as she pulled out her cell phone.

Buffy, Xander, Willow and Anya looked baffled at the display. Anya finally recognized her old friend as Katherine turned to them. Her eyes locked with Buffy's, blue-gray to green.

"You!" Katherine stated, "Need to realize some things." Buffy blinked and looked away; embarrassed Katherine was able to control her like that.

The blonde then turned to Willow. Blue-gray met green. "You can't just stop completely you've got to realize dark ain't the way to go an' neither is none at all. Practice the right way. **If** you want her back." Willow did the same as Buffy and looked away.

Katherine turned to Xander. "Tell her everything if you hope for it t'work out. Don't hide. Don't wait until that day. If you do, **nothing** will be the same." Xander continued to stare at the demi-god, letting her words sink in.

Katherine turned to Anya and smiled at the ex-demon. "Anyanka, let him know you'll understand. Tell him your fears or nothing will be the same and the day will be ruined. Don't let that happen."

Anya smiled at Katherine. "I haven't seen you since fourteen eighty-five. How are you, Katherine?"

"Fine. You could a told a bird you were getting hitched. Not like I wouldn't a shown." Katherine said. "How 'bout I come by the Magic box t'morrow? We can talk then."

"Of course. You can see how much money I make." Anya nodded in agreement with the meeting.

"An' the ring…well, got to go. Will, y'ready?" Katherine turned to Spike and raised an eyebrow.

"Whenever you are, Kat." Spike said. "No teleporting, though. Can't stand that."

"Fine. We'll walk." Katherine and Spike left the alley, probably heading for his crypt.

Buffy, Xander and Willow turned to look at Anya. "What was that about?" Buffy asked for the other two.

"Katherine is a demi-god. She was born in the fourteen hundreds. By the time she was fifteen, she was an experienced sorceress in light magic. Despises the dark stuff. Powers That Be saw her potential and gave her the chance to become an agent for them. Became a demi-god at age twenty-three, which was when she decided that she officially wanted to work for them. Known her for a long time.

"The minute she looks into your eyes, she knows your life story and your feelings. She also sees your possible future. If it's bad, she tries to change it." Anya explained.

"Creepy, "Xander commented. "She told us all something about ourselves." He paused. "Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm ready to go home, aren't you, Anya?"

"Will there be lots of sex?" Anya asked as Xander led her away.

"Yeah, Ahn. " Xander's face showed embarrassment of his fiancé but his friends were no longer paying attention.

Willow turned to look at Buffy. "So, what do you think of her?"

_I'm jealous and angry. I just want her to go away and leave my Spike alone. Yeah. He's **my** Spike. He's in love with me, so, yeah, I'm jealous. And-_

"I don't like her."

"So **that's** the one you're all hung up on?" Katherine asked as they walked through one of the many cemeteries of Sunnydale- well, the one with Spike's crypt.

"Yeah, unfortunately." Spike answered resentfully. A little **too** resentfully.

"William, I love you and I know you. In truth, you ought to get over the bint. She's shoddier than Dru and at least Dru was mad." Katherine said. Spike decided to overlook that remark.

A fledgling came out of the shadows with six of its cronies.

Katherine turned to look at Spike. "Doesn't this ever tire you?"

"Only way to get my violence out." Spike responded.

"It's the turncoat with the Slayer." The lead vampire said.

"Are you kidding me?! I don't look a thing like 'er! I'm way more elevated on the cosmic balance than a bloody Slayer!" Katherine exclaimed, indignant at being called the Slayer.

Spike laughed to himself as he attacked three vampires. He kicked a vampire and took a punch from another. He punched the vampire once, twice, three times before staking it. The other punched him in the face and then kicked him in the gut. He fell, but got to his feet quickly. Spike threw his own punch at the vampire. He was smirking when he heard bones cracking and knew Katherine was taking out her annoyance of being called the Slayer on the vampires. He back handed the fledgling and the kicked it in the gut, exclaiming, "**This** is fun!"

"Are you off your rocker?!" Katherine ducked punch after punch, throwing ones of her own. She heard bones cracking as she connected with jaws and ribs. She jumped in the air and front-kicked a vampire with her right leg, and then she spun in the air and side-kicked another vampire in the face. She landed on the ground with a grace the Slayer would never be capable to beat and turned in enough time to stake the vampire approaching behind her. It turned to dust and she flipped onto a gravestone that stood at least nine feet tall.

"No, just enjoying a fight, Kat!" Spike staked the last two in quick succession and, after the dust settled, he watched Katherine.

The vampires looked around, uneasy as to where the blonde went. Katherine dropped like a ghost behind a vampire and staked it. It yelled out as it turned to dust and the two lasting turned to her and advanced.

"I just about forgot you were a sadistic vampire, Mr. I-Love-Railroad-Spikes." Katherine ducked a punch from one and back-kicked the other in the gut and then the face to get both feet off the ground and flip over the one in front of her. The vampires turned to face her at the same time and with a simple spell her stake turned into a long, sharp stick. She shoved it through both vampires' hearts and they collapsed to dust simultaneously.

"Right you are on that one, ducks. Nice to see you fight again." Spike said, smiling.

"Oh, yeah. 'Cause the last time you saw that was when I helped you and Dru in France. And…then Italy…and Prague…oh, a-and Brazil! Then I had to help you, all lonesome in Spain, and then England. Trouble follows you." Katherine said. She walked over to Spike and put her arms around his neck.

"I'm a trouble maker." Spike murmured.

She smiled, laughter palpably in her eyes. "Yes, you **are**-"

"Well, isn't that just cozy?" The Slayer's voice rang out.

Katherine turned her head to the other blonde. "Is there a cause for your butting in?" Katherine turned back and looked Spike in the eyes. It was a look that said, "I'll handle this. She's getting on my nerves." Or did she say it telepathically?

"No, not really. Just wanted to observe the Kodak moment- in a damn near rated NC-17 kind a way." Buffy countered frigidly.

Katherine took her arms from around Spike and he couldn't feel her body heat anymore. She'd turned colder than ice as she turned to Buffy. "Yeah, well, if that's what you were doing, then you really don't have a life outside of slaying, do you? And, um, divergent to one's self-involved worldview, nearby are citizens who don't know you. And, damn, do I envy them."

Buffy's eyes widened and then she narrowed them. In an even harder voice she threatened the blonde demi-god: "You should leave Sunnydale before I kill you."

Katherine laughed as an inexplicably cold wind blew through the cemetery. Really peculiar for the time of the year it was. "Newsflash, Slayer. Not every non-human can be killed. I sure as hell can't. But, I'll tell you what. You leave now and I won't kick your ass."

"How about this: I kick your ass and you leave, or I kick your ass and find a way to kill you." Buffy took a step towards the demi-god.

Katherine stalked until she was nose-to-nose with Buffy. The Slayer could feel the ice coming off the older blonde in waves. "I can't wait to burst your ego."

Buffy threw punch after punch only to have it blocked by Katherine. She kicked Katherine in the stomach and Katherine either scarcely felt it or didn't acknowledge it. She moved to the left when Buffy threw a right-handed punch. She grabbed Buffy's right wrist with her left hand and, with her right hand-palm open, hit the Slayer in the chest. The wind was knocked out of her and Buffy flew into a gravestone that broke on impact.

The blonde made her way back to Spike, her temperature rising to normal. "Will, I came here because I had this pesky sense I had to be here. So, that's why I'm here. Let's have some fun while I am?" It was a question. For a powerful entity, she was questioning their hanging out together. Then she added, "and while you do that, think about this. Why do you live? Or unlive, as the case may be? Whom would you do anything for?"

"Kat-" he started.

"Think about it. You know how to reach me right?" Katherine asked. She waved her hand and Spike was instantaneously in his crypt. She then teleported herself to the front of her apartment edifice that she now resided in. "**Please**, think about it."

_YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH THIS VAMPIRE. WHY?_

"You wouldn't have a handle on it." Katherine responded, entering the building and stepping on to the elevator. It was vacant, fortunately.

_ENLIGHTEN US._

"He's not just as vampire. And he's not like other ones. You know that or you wouldn't be inquiring my judgment on him. But I know a little you don't. He can love. He can love with his entire feeling. Every time I saw him with Drusilla, he gave her anything and everything she wanted. And she let him go. Unfortunately, right now he loves the Slayer. I wish I had someone to love me like that. More significantly, I wish it were him. Yes, he's killed thousands upon thousands of people, but that was before. Before Sunnydale. He's special. He's changed now. I know it. I can tell."

_YOU HOPE YOUR VISIT WILL INFLUENCE HIM TO FORGET HER?_

"Noticeable much? Hell yeah!"

_ARE YOU SURE IT WILL WORK OUT?_

More positive than she in fact was, she said, "It will. Don't worry your pretty little Powers That Be heads…do you have heads? Do you even have bodies…? Never mind." She stepped off the elevator at the twelfth floor and entered her apartment. "It'd better."

"I'm swearing up and down. She is **evil**." Buffy said to her friends in the Magic Box.

After making a sale, Anya waved the customer out. "Come again and buy more goods!" She turned to Buffy. "Katherine's my one non-evil friend, Buffy. She's anything but. And it's recognized that she works for the Powers That Be. She controls the elements of wind and fire. And her temperature mostly decides on her mood."

"She is so smart." Xander smiled at his fiancé and she returned the smile.

"Well, then, she's been corrupted by Spike." Buffy said, as the bell rang to signify a customer entering the shop.

"I'm quite sure I was like this before William was born and I think it's the other way around." The soft British voice wafted through the magic shop as Katherine entered.

She looked at Willow. "You want to get better but you don't know how. How about I help you work at it? Help you control yourself…your magic? Then you can talk to her…"

"I-I can't use it at all because then I-I-I might do something wrong and I'll-"

"Redhead." Katherine effectively broke Willow's ramble. "The magic's in you. A part of you. If you shut it out, off, entirely, it'll be bad. When a feeling overcomes you-anger…grief-you'll let it control you and **no one** will be able to stop you. Not even me. An' then, there's only one alternative." she paused, "I think you know what."

Willow's eyes widened and she nodded of images of her friends having to kill her raced through her mind. Buffy stepped in front of Willow so that the redhead was out of Katherine's line of vision. "Leave. Now."

Katherine smirked and it looked like Spike's. "You don't tell me what to do. The only beings in this bloody God-forsaken world that tells **me** what t'do are the Powers that Be."

"How do you know Spike?" Buffy demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"None of you soddin' business. Since you don't care about the b 'thing' /b , don't worry about his unlife."

"So…what? You think you're better than me?" Buffy's voice was colder than ice.

"Yep, you're beneath me. An', if I'm right, you said those words to him a year ago." Katherine answered, her voice colder, but her rage rising.

Willow, Anya and Xander watched the exchange in silence and hoped to whoever was watching over them that they didn't get set in the middle. Well, Willow and Xander was. Anya just hoped they didn't fight and ruin her store.

"So what?"

"He was going to kill you that night." Katherine looked at Buffy heatedly.

"No. No, he wasn't." Buffy denied as if Katherine didn't know what she was saying. As if she knew so for a fact.

"Oh, yeah. And he showed up at the back porch of your house with a bloody double-barreled shotgun for his health that he doesn't need."

"The-they were just words." Buffy said, now her anger spreading to Spike.

The air in the shop seemed to rise in temperature. Xander turned to the other two. "Is it hot I here, or is it just me?"

"Katherine's angry, hence temperature changes. They better stop before Katherine lights my shop on fire." Anya commented.

"You know **nothing** about him, do you? So **bloody **typical. Hate first, ask questions later." A manifestation of fire could be seen in Katherine's eyes. "Once upon a time, a certain day in eighteen eighty, a certain mortal named William went to a party. This William was desperately in love wit' a fair maiden-a stuck-up, snobbish, haughty, 'igh class bitch named Cecily. When he told her how he felt, she told him three words, an' they weren't 'I love you', what's more. They were…'you're beneath me'. Know what happened that night? Our darling William walked down a street, his heart broken. Bad move for him, I'd say. By chance he bumped into one of three master vampires from the Order of Bloody Aurelius. Not that he knew that, of course." Katherine sneered at the looks on the humans' faces. She didn't give a damn what they meant, as long as she was getting through to them. "You guessed right: Darla, later to be known as the 'whore'; Angelus, later to be known as his 'poof of a grandsire'; and Drusilla, later to be known as his 'Ripe Wicked Plum'. So, our William goes into a murky alleyway where he rips up his poe-stuff. Drusilla…such a…lovely…exquisite…charming…psycho…bitch charms 'im with her words and he agreed to eternity-with her—"

"Seems live eternity ended four years ago to me." Xander commented.

Willow nodded in accord.

"Do you **mind**? I'm tellin' a story here! And he agreed to eternity-with her. An' 'William The bloody' isn't from being mean, nasty, and evil, as you may think. It's from- something else that I won't tell." Katherine stopped.

She looked at all of them. "Time for some hard truths, people!"

Her gaze stopped on Xander. "Day after day, you say the same thing. 'He's an evil, soulless thing'. 'He's a monster'. Do this for me: Look your fiancé, former vengeance demon Anyanka who's been alive for a thousand plus years and eviscerated millions, and talk about how **bloody** evil demons are."

Xander's eyes widened as he took in what the blonde

said. "Ahn…?"

"I'm scared Xander. What am I supposed to do when one day you realize I've done worse than Spike and you decide that you don't love me anymore?" Anya asked.

Katherine barely heard them as she turned to the redheaded witch. "I've really nothing to say to you. You're doing it all yourself. But there's the fact that you need to continue your magic. For **your **own good."

Willow had long moved from behind Buffy. "You'll help me?"

Katherine nodded. "Of course. Y'know, if you get good at it…well, great at it, you might get a job like mine." She paused. "Like…" confusion marred her face as she heard something from what the humans guessed was the Powers That Be."…Will?"

"What job?" Buffy asked.

Katherine ignored the Slayer. Xander and Anya had long retreated to the training room to "talk" and Willow was giving Katherine the "you're my savior" look. "See ya later, Redhead."

Katherine disappeared and Buffy turned to Willow, who was smiling with renewed hope. "Am I the only one who thinks she's evil?" Buffy asked her redheaded best friend.

"Buffy, as much as I love you, and I **am** your best friend, but you and I both know, she's **not** evil." Willow said. "I'm gonna go look for non-dark arts books to show Katherine. See you later, Buffy?"

"Yeah." Buffy answered as her friend left. "I **know** she's not evil. That's what bothers me."


	2. Roomates

**_Chapter Two: Roommates_**

"William?" Katherine called out as she entered Spike's crypt.

"Kat, nice to see you." Spike said, no sarcasm involved. He was sitting on his sarcophagus, deep in thought-but not brooding, never brooding.

"So, you're thinking, are you?" Katherine closed the door behind her and sat next to Spike. "Yeah." He answered, taking out a cigarette from his pack. "So, tell me your thoughts. You might need to vocalize them." Katherine suggested.  
  
Spike took out his lighter and lit his cigarette. He took a drag from it and blew out the smoke. "I was thinking 'bout when you asked me who I'd do anything for." He looked at Katherine. She nodded for him to continue. "And I think that I'd do anything for Platelet-Dawn, Buffy's li'l sister. Her mum, if she was still alive. The blonde witch-Tara. She's nice; guess I'd save her. The ex-demon-Anya. She's nice. Never heard of tact, open and frank. Good source of comedy." He took another drag and blew out the smoke. Katherine watched it billow in the air and waft away. He sat there for a minute with the cigarette in his mouth. She listened to his speech, waiting for him to continue. She was pretty bummed he hadn't mentioned her. As if sensing how she felt, he said, "and most of all, Kat. Above everyone else, including the Slayer, I'd do **absolutely anything** for you." He put the cigarette out on the side of the sarcophagus. Katherine smiled at Spike and then looked up sharply as if to say, "I told you so!"

"I also thought about where I stand. As you saw last night, I'm the turncoat who fights alongside the Slayer. I kill my own kind."

"You're the **only** one of **your** kind." Katherine encouraged. Spike moved closer to Katherine and put an arm around her waist. She leaned on his shoulder. "You're uniquely unique."

"Yeah...my point is-"

"You had one?" Spike gave her a look. "Sorry."

"My point is though, there's no bloody way in hell I'll ever get back on the side of the demon world. And I'm starting to doubt I want to be in the world where the Slayer and her band of Scoobies are. They swear they're better than everyone."

"I need to talk to the blonde witch. Give her some advice." Katherine said. "Don't see a nice future for her an' Redhead. Want to make what I saw wrong."

"You don't like their future?" The vampire questioned the demi-god. She didn't seem happy about what she saw.

"B'tween you an' me, the redhead needs to spend more time with the blonde...and those nerds...they need to get rid of them now. Before it's too late."

"Not gonna press anymore. Might not like the future. Fine with right now." Spike commented.

"Good choice." Katherine answered.

Spike pulled Katherine closer. "You know, in the future, if you need **anything**, you can **always** ask me."

"I know. An' I love you for it. Now, I'm going to take myself to my apartment." Spike looked at her. "Yes, I bought one," Katherine sat in silence. "Will? How'd you feel about moving in with me?"

"What?" Spike asked as Katherine pulled herself out of his embrace.

"You. Moving in. With me." Katherine stated. She got off the sarcophagus and Spike did the same. "You know, 'cause it's leased for two years. I have an extra room. You live in a crypt and I need a roommate. Besides you deserve to live in a much cozier place, though your crypt is posh and comfy...for a vampire."

"Right, then. We're roommates."

Spike had all his things packed and ready by the time Katherine showed up. She was smiling and cheerful at the thought of more time with her old "friend".

"Ready, Will?" Katherine asked, taking an once-over of the crypt to make sure he left nothing behind. She figured that if the Slayer didn't see a trace of him there, she might doubt he even existed. Katherine preferred it that way.

"Yeah. Guess so." He answered. Now that he thought of it, he was glad to see the place go. Too many bad memories mixed right in with the good. Like memories of Joyce and him watching Passions...the **only** good one, really.

"Okay, so I grab a bag and you grab a bag and I'll, y'know, flash us there. Then you can 'ooh!' and 'ahh!' and then I'll come back and get the last of your things." Katherine said, grabbing a garbage bag that she knew held some of his belongings. Spike grabbed a bag himself and held Katherine's hand as she magically teleported them to your apartment.

It was furnished in what must've been the most expensive furniture ever made. Magical artifacts rested around as if it were regular art. A huge mirror hung above the fireplace, and, to Spike, it seemed obvious that a secret compartment was behind that-probably holding weapons. They stood in the living room as Spike memorized his new room. He noticed the huge balcony. At the moment semi-thick shades let only indirect sunlight in. to the left were two doors, one most likely the kitchen and the dining room. To the right was a hallway with three doors.

_The bedrooms_, Spike thought.

As if reading his mind, which she **could **do, Katherine said, "those three doors in that hallway lead to the bedrooms. The two doors on the left are the kitchen and dining room. Two of the bedrooms have a joint bathroom, the other has it's own. But I don't think you want a yellow and lavender- colored bathroom. One room is decorated in red and black," Spike looked at her." What? I saw the future and I made arrangements. Anyway, the other- mine-is in blue and gray."

_This place is posh_, Spike thought. He headed to the hallway and Katherine followed him. She opened the last door on the left and let him in first. "Kat, how'd you get enough money for this place? He asked as he entered the room. "Looks pretty damn posh."

"It is. They gave me a huge bank account when I first started. So, ya like?"

Spike looked at his room. There were thick black curtains on both windows...a queen-sized bed with red satin sheets...black walls, red carpet, and black furniture...a TV and a stereo. Spike walked over to it and noticed a stack of CDs. The Sex Pistols, The Ramones...the list went on and on. Spike turned back to his friend and grinned. "I like."

Katherine smiled and then teleported back to the crypt and grabbed another bag. "For a vampire that travels light, you've got a lot of stuff."

"Spike!" the Slayer's voice was unmistakable as she kicked open the door to Spike's crypt.

_No wonder he jumped at the chance to move._ "S'not polite to kick down doors." Katherine said, putting the bags down again. "Besides, he's not here."

"Where is he?" Buffy demanded more then asked.

"Away from you. Not here. Lucky him." Katherine turned to look at Buffy. "Any reason you're still here?"

"I want to see Spike."

"Then go find him. It ain't here, though."

"It's daytime." Buffy stated.

"Good, now what is it when the sun goes down?" Katherine asked sarcastically as she spoke to the Slayer as it she was a slow kid. The Slayer only glared at her. "Plus, I can magically go places. Like now." Katherine grabbed a bag and teleported back to the apartment. "Got more of your stuff." She set the bag down. Spike came out of the kitchen. "Be back in a min." Buffy was still there when the demi-god reached the crypt. "Y'don't give up, do you?"

"No."

Katherine grabbed the last two bags. "Too bad. G'day. " She reappeared in the apartment and set the last two bags down. She threw herself down on the couch and sighed.

"Ran into the Slayer, didn't you?" Spike asked.

"Both times. Need a life?" Katherine commented as Spike sat down next to her.

_'Can I have the amulet?' _

_DO YOU THINK IT IS WISE TO GIVE IT TO HIM? _

_'I trust him and I think so. Isn't that enough?' _

_VERY WELL._

Spike watched Katherine hold out her right hand. An amulet appeared in it. To Spike's surprise, she took Spike's left hand and placed the amulet in it. "From me. To you."

He stared at it. Silver. On the front was a crescent moon and sun combined and inscribed inside a triangle. Embedded in the triangle were three letters: PTB. "What does it do?"

"I made this amulet a long time ago. I think you deserve it and so do they. You'll find out what it does soon. " Katherine answered mysteriously. "I need to go to the shop, help the redhead control her magic and concentrate on the right stuff. When you decide you're done unpacking, put the amulet on and walk to the shop." Katherine smiled and then teleported to the middle of the shop. "Hey, people!"

Her grin when everyone jumped was contagious.

"Hey, Katherine." Willow said, smiling.

"So, Redhead. First off-you can't **ever** do magic thinking that whoever you call upon to do you the favor of allowing this spell to work is just doing it just for you. They want something from you. And, you can't mess with the forces of nature. They're not yours to control. They're nature's. We'll come back to that later. Now, "Katherine paused, letting what she said sink in. "let's get to the concentration and control thing. One- you can't let your emotions control you. That'd be your first mistake. So, concentrate on a time when you've felt extreme anger." She instructed Willow.

The redhead closed her eyes and concentrated. She went back to when she had her argument with Giles and her called her an amateur. Black energy swirled and crackled around the witch. Everyone watched in amazement and some fear.

_'Now, Willow, listen to me. Concentrate on what you're angry at. Why are you angry with him? Because of what he said? Or because he was right?'_

"Because of what he said." Willow answered.

_'Truth please?'_

Why was she angry? She hadn't been that powerful then, true. She'd messed with forces she had no business invoking. She resurrected a person from the dead, knowing that what she brought back might not have been Buffy. "Because he was right." Willow relented. The energy stopped its crackling around her and she opened her eyes.

_'That's the angriest you've ever been since you used magic?'_ Willow nodded. _'And you were angry b'cause he was right?' _Willow nodded again. '_So, then you have to realize, he's only making sure you stay on the right path in magic. He isn't trying to hurt you.'_

Willow nodded. "You're right. All this time I've been feeling like he was just jealous of me...and it's not, now that I can see it from both points of view."

_'Good. Now, I'm gonna throw in a little something-something of a possible future for grief.'_ Willow nodded and closed her eyes. She had a feeling she'd have to brace herself for this. Katherine thought back to the first future she saw when she originally came to town. Tara's death, something the witch really wasn't prepared for. Willow made a cry of dismay at the thought of her love dying right in front of her. _'Her killer?'_ Willow nodded and Katherine sent the image of Warren running down the block, gun in hand. The magic that had started to surround Willow was darker than before. _'Willow, what are you doing?'_

"He took her, away from me. He has to die." Willow said as the image changed to her sucking all the magic out of the books in the shop. _'Willow you're better than this. In Tara's memory, it would be dishonorable to use dark magic and kill someone.'_ Katherine said, as the image turned to her killing Warren, skinning him alive. "It would be revenge, he needs to pay." Willow answered.

_'No. It's murder. It would be dishonorable to her. She would **never** want you to kill someone in her name. If those can't show you, how about these?'_ A rush of images flew through Willow's mind...talking to Dawn about turning her back into a green ball of energy...fighting Buffy...hurting Giles while Buffy tried to save Dawn, Xander and the two nerds left...invoking skeletons to attack Buffy and Dawn...hurting Xander with magic as he tried to keep her from ending the world... The magic stopped crackling around the witch and she started to cry. _'It's not real yet, Redhead, but you can change it. If you try really hard to.'_

"It's what you saw, isn't it? That's why you want to help me?" Willow asked and Katherine nodded. "Thank you."

Katherine wiped the leftover tears from the redhead's face and smiled, "Congrats, you're almost there." She looked at the others that had slowly backed away from the two. "Oh, c'mon, she wasn't** that** bloody scary, was she?"

"Of course not, its just Willow." Xander said, unconvinced.

"Just Willow?! She's a very powerful witch! She just needs more control." Katherine said before turning to Willow. "You have a **harmless** spell you wan' to try?"

Willow nodded. "Yep, got it earlier. I'll go get it." Willow went to her bag on the reading table.

The bell to the shop "dinged" as Spike entered, the amulet Katherine gave him around his neck. In the sunlight.

"Spike's in the sunlight." Xander said to his fiancé.

"It's the amulet." The ex-demon answered, dusting the merchandise.

Spike smiled at Katherine. It was rare and genuine, so Katherine had to return it. "You like?" she asked.

"I like." He grinned and sat himself on the counter despite Anya's protests otherwise.

A teenage girl with long brown hair and blue eyes came into the shop. "Hey guys. Hey, Spike." She received various greetings from all the occupants except for Katherine.

Willow finally found the book and turned to Katherine with a smile. "Found it. Is a teleportation spell okay?"

Katherine nodded. "Yeah. 'Course. Let's get started."

"Wait." The witches stopped the preparation of the spell. Spike, Xander and Anya looked up at Dawn. "Everyone's fine with Willow doing magic after everything's that happened?"

"That's Katherine. She's the greatest witch I know. She's helping Willow." "By doing magic?" Dawn put her bag down on the table.

"If she stops completely, if something tragic happens, she'll explode. I'm talking end-of-the-world shit. She just needs to stay on the right path." Katherine said as the teenager turned towards her.

"Really? And how long have you been doing magic to know this?" Dawn crossed her arms to her chest, too similar to the Slayer.

Katherine's eyes reflected flames for a moment. And then she smiled-an obviously fake one. "Of course. You were made from the Slayer, that's why you're so much like her." Dawn's eyes widened and she realized that the blonde was not a normal witch. "And, to answer your question...I became the most powerful witch when I turned fifteen and I'm seven hundred seventy- five."

"You don't look a day older than twenty-three." Dawn said.

Katherine raised her eyebrows and then went back to setting up the ingredients for the spell while Anya said, "She started working for the Powers That Be when she became twenty-three." She continued to dust the products in the store. _'Kat, don't be hard on the Bit. She's just...well, it isn't her fault she's so much like the_ _Slayer.'_ Katherine looked at Spike and smiled. "You sound like you like that a lot." The humans stared at them in confusion as the doorbell to the shop jingled, announcing the Slayer's entrance. "Oh, look. It's Slutty the Vampire Layer."

Buffy looked at the blonde with the blue-gray eyes and the smirk on her face. _Bitch._

"Not nice to think about people like that." Katherine commented. Buffy glared at her hard enough to freeze any normal person. But, then again, Katherine was in no way normal. "Oh, if looks could kill...I'd still be here."

"One day, I'll kick your ass."

"An' I'm Queen Victoria." Katherine retorted. She sat on the counter next to Spike, both with a bizarrely similar look on their faces.

"That's just creepy." Xander said, on the whole same look thing and the laughter in the eyes of the non-humans sitting on the counter. Spike started to pat his duster and Katherine automatically had a pack of cigarettes and a Zippo lighter in her hands. "Really creepy."

"Thanks, Kat." Spike lit a cigarette and took a drag off it. Katherine held out her right hand and he handed her one and the lighter. "I thought you quit in England."

"Yeah, well there's too much tension in this bloody store." Katherine lit the cigarette and put it in her mouth. She handed the lighter to Spike and took a drag off her cigarette. Then she blew out the smoke and continued. "Anyanka and her human boy still aren't getting into real communication. The Slayer and the teenager still haven't forgiven Redhead for her mistakes this past year, but then it's okay if the girl wants to run from store to store being KleptoGirl, saving merchandise from being bought."

"I just-"

"Did it for the attention. Caught the memo. And so was the whole trapped-in- the-house-for-a-day-and-a-half thing with Hallie." She took another drag off her cigarette and blew the smoke out again.

"Who?"

"Halfrek. Y'know, an' I'm just saying, maybe you should a tried **telling** everyone you felt ignored. But then, what the hell do I know? But it might've helped. And you wouldn't have had to be banned from every store in the whole town. "Katherine said. They all tried to protect and shy the girl from everything, not understanding they were doing more harm than good.

"Where do you come from telling my sister what she should or shouldn't have done?" Buffy finally stepped in and interrupted the conversation.

Katherine took a drag of her cigarette and jumped off the counter. She walked until she was nose-to-nose with Buffy and blew the smoke in the Slayer's face. "And you're going to...?" Buffy threw a punch that Katherine easily sidestepped. "Anger isn't going to help you against me. Neither is rage...or envy? Oh...envious of me, I wonder why..." Buffy threw a punch with her other fist and received a kick in the ribs, which sent her into the wall. "Y'know, I've proved a number of times already that you can't beat me. So, why the bloody hell are you doin' this? Do you have masochistic tendencies or something?" She took another drag off her cigarette and blew out the smoke as Buffy rose to her feet.

"Am I the only one who noticed that Spike walked in here at three in the afternoon?" Xander interrupted, forgetting that he mentioned it earlier and Anya answered him.

"Honey, that happened ten minutes ago. Let it go." Anya reassured Xander and she smiled as a customer entered the shop. "Can you take this into the back before you scare off the customer? I have to make money." She shooed everyone except Dawn into the training room.

"So, Blondie, wanna give it a go then?" Buffy sneered at Katherine once in the back room. Katherine only smiled, obviously amused as Spike, Willow and Xander stood off to the side.

"Why am I feeling a sense of déjà vu?" Xander asked.

"'Cause they were like this earlier?" Willow offered.

"Earlier? What happened earlier? Spike asked, confused. His question went unanswered.

Katherine took a drag of her cigarette and blew out the smoke. Then she put it out on the wall near her and turned to face Buffy. "Let's do this, then." Buffy swung a right jab at Katherine. The demi-god ducked the blow and spun at the same time, sweeping Buffy off her feet. Katherine flipped back to her feet and waited for Buffy to get up. "Well, get up, then. You wanted to do this." Katherine waited semi-patiently as the Slayer jumped to her feet.

Buffy lunged at the demi-god and they flew into a wall. Katherine lifted both feet onto the wall and braced herself. Then, she pushed against the wall and flew in the air, pulling Buffy with her. She rolled to her feet as Buffy flew into the opposite wall. Buffy rolled to her feet into a crouched position and stared at the dim-god. "You are so going down." Katherine smirked as Buffy charged her. Katherine leaned so that she fell on her back and flipped Buffy over her.

"She's letting rage control her. That's why she's not winning." Spike said.

"How do you know?" Xander replied incredulously at the blonde vampire.

"It's obvious." Spike said simply. "Plus, Kat told me."

Willow and Xander shared a look. "Telepathically?" Willow asked.

"'Course. How else?" he looked at the two humans and then back to the fight. "The Slayer's gonna have serious bruises."

_'Wanna take you rage out on me, eh? 'Cause I'm not letting you use William as your punchin' bag anymore. He doesn't deserve it.'_ Katherine said telepathically as Buffy landed a punch to her face.

Katherine stumbled back only a few steps. Angrily, Buffy said, _'Soulless demon. Nothing good or clean about him.' _

_'And what about you?'_ Buffy paused and Katherine took this opportunity to land roundhouse kick._ 'The way you fight, you'd figure you were in your first year as the Slayer.' _

_'I've had six years experience.'_ Buffy retorted, flipping herself off her back.

Katherine blocked a punch and laughed. _'I know. You're the one letting your emotions control you. You're like the demons you fight. Letting the rage control you. Non-human. Animalistic, is more like it.'_

Buffy swung with her right fist. Katherine caught her fist with her own right hand and spun the Slayer into a position Spike recognized. He'd had the Chinese Slayer (Xin Rong) like that at the Boxer Rebellion. '_I'm **not **an animal.' _

_'Aren't you? It's what you act like. Will tried to tell you that you didn't kill the girl. He turns out to be right and if he hadn't delayed you, you'd be watching yourself while you bend over for the soap. And he's right but yet still, he gets the shit beat outta him. And he still loves you for whatever God-forsaken reason. I've been here two days and I still haven't seen what makes you the Slayer. You had him and you treated him badly. Then you dumped him 'cause Commando Boy showed up with Commando Girl.' _

_'Spike was hiding demon eggs. He was "The Doctor".'_ Buffy struggled to get out of Katherine's grip.

_'Oh, really, and after last year, would he **really **choose a name so close to "Doc", you know, the demon that threw 'im off the soddin' tower and cut Dawn? You are pathetic.'_ Katherine threw Buffy out of her hold. Buffy fell to her knees. "Very much so. "Katherine finished. She turned to Willow. "How about we go do that spell?"

"Um, sure." Willow looked at Buffy for a moment and then followed Katherine out of the room. Spike didn't say anything. He just followed the two witches to the front and sat next to Dawn at the reading table. Xander helped Buffy up and they made their way out front.

Dawn leaned over to Spike. "So, that's your old 'friend' that's also the 'greatest witch alive'?"

"Yeah." Spike grinned as Katherine sat with Willow to finish setting up the spell. He looked at Dawn. "Isn't she great?"

"Okay. I'm ready when you are." Willow sat down in the circle across from Katherine and joined hands with the blonde.

"First thank Gaia for allowing completion of this spell. Without her, you wouldn't be able to do it." Katherine instructed.

"I thank the Goddess Gaia for granting me the power and strength needed to complete this spell." Willow said dutifully.

_'Willow, think of a place you want to be.'_ Willow's mind drifted to the beach. _'Concentrate on the place. The beach...the cool breezes blowing your hair into your face...the waves lapping at your feet as you walk along the shore...As you recite the words from the book, think of the beauty of the beach...not getting there.'_

"Goddess Gaia. I implore you. Allow me safe passage. From here to the serene nature I want to witness. I ask of you to let me travel. I implore thee for safe passage from this place to another." Willow began to recite the words of the spell, her mind on the beach, not the spell. The words flowed out of her mouth easily. Willow opened her eyes and it startled everyone that it was a white color instead of the black they were used to. A white wind surrounded the witches as they recited the last words of the spell in unison. "So mote it be."

"So...she really is a powerful witch, huh." Dawn said to Spike as more of a statement that a question.

"Makes you want to stay on he good side, doesn't it?" Spike asked.

Dawn nodded and agreed, "Big time."

Willow looked around her. They were really at the beach. "Oh. Wow. I did it." She turned to look at Katherine. "With your help, of course, because I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

"This was all you, Redhead. I just came along for the ride." Katherine said. A breeze blew and the redhead shared a smile with the blonde. It was just as serene as she pictured it. "Yeah. Now: to return. No supplies needed. Just concentrate on where you originally came from." Willow closed her eyes and pictured the magic box with all her friends inside. She joined hands with Katherine. "Good. Now, recite the words of the spell."

"Goddess Gaia. I implore you. Allow me safe passage. From the serene nature I wanted to witness to there I want to return. I ask of you to let me travel. I implore thee for safe passage from this place to another." Willow began to recite the words of the spell, her mind on the magic shop, not the spell. The words flowed out of her mouth as easily as before. Willow opened her eyes and there was a white color, like before. A white wind surrounded the witches as they recited the last words of the spell in unison. "So mote it be." They reappeared in the Magic Box in a flash of white wind.

When Willow got past her disorientation, she smiled brightly. "Thanks Katherine!" She hugged the blonde and began to clean up the supplies. She returned the unused supplies, too.

"So, where'd you go?" Dawn asked, looking truly interested.

"The beach. Simple place. It was cool." Katherine said. "Serene...calm...it's what she needs."

"Katherine, I'm having a pre-wedding party. Only friends. I was hoping you and Spike would come." Anya said.

"No prob, Anyanka." Katherine looked at her bleached blonde friend. _'Right?' _

_'Course. Wanna see how "fun" it'll be,'_ Spike smirked.

Katherine shook her head and smiled. "When exactly?"

"Tomorrow night." Anya answered. Then she said, "Are you going to pay for the supplies you and Willow used?"

"Yes, knowing how much you love money...not a big deal either." Katherine walked over to the counter. Spike watched her with a small smile.

"That'll be twenty-two dollars and fifty cents." Anya rang up the supplies, a smile on her face as Willow returned.

"That's it?" Katherine asked, pulling the bills out of her wallet in her pocket.

Xander looked at Buffy, Willow and Dawn and mouthed, "That's it?"

Willow shrugged. "Maybe she's rich."

"Not that much, but...I just thought Anyanka would have higher prices. " Katherine cut in, making everyone jump. They glared at her. "Sorry. You'd think that after six years of demons, you could stand someone sneakin' on ya. Guess not." She turned to Spike. "So, time to go?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah." She and Spike walked out into the sun.

"Again, was Spike out in the sun?" Xander asked his friends.

"Yeah-wait, how's that possible?" Dawn asked. "Spike-vampire. Vampire- Spike."

"It's the amulet she's wearing. Katherine made it a couple of centuries ago, with the permission of the Powers That Be, going on about 'for the one with the Heart'. Don't know what she meant by that."

"Well, obviously it was destined for Spike. And she meant Spike all those years ago." Dawn said logically.

"Well, that makes sense." Anya said. A customer entered. "Hello, welcome to the Magic Box, where all your magical demands are met. How can I help you?" She began to follow the customer around the store.

"Yeah, it does. "Willow agreed. They sat in silence for a moment and then the redhead sighed and stood. "Well, I've got to meet Tara."

"Really?" Dawn asked, happy at the prospect of her favorite couple getting back together. Willow nodded. "Yeah. We're meeting at the Expresso Pump. To talk."

"Go, Wills!" Dawn cheered her friend on.

"Oh. We're just going to be friends." Willow said, blushing slightly.

"For now." Dawn said to herself. "Oh, you should invite her to the party."

The redhead caught Dawn's thinking and smiled. "Will do." And she left the shop, one of the happiest in the whole Scooby Gang.

Buffy watched her leave, wishing she could have a single thought that didn't end in a fight, or yelling. Everything was going good for everyone but her. And then there was Katherine who just came swooping in and making everything better. As if it was a way of the Powers That Be telling her that she fucked up and they were sending someone to make it better. Xander and Anya were getting married in two days, Willow and Tara seemed to be on the together road. And what the hell was there between Katherine and Spike. Not that she cared, because she didn't...


	3. I Never

**Chapter Three: I Never...**

The next day at eight o'clock on the dot, Katherine teleported herself and Spike to the hallway of Anya and Xander's floor outside their apartment for the small get together. The demi-god had spent all day with Dawn and they had an understanding. She didn't know what Spike did all day, though. But, she bet it was something along the lines of watching T.V. and eating Weetabix all day.

"This 'party' is going to bite ass. If something supernatural doesn't happen, I'll be real bloody surprised." Spike muttered.

"Maybe we can get them to play 'I Never'." Katherine answered, knocking on the door.

"Katherine, Spike, come in, have fun, party!" Anya exclaimed enthusiastically. She moved out of the way to allow the two blondes entrance.

Katherine smiled at her friend. "Hey, Anyanka." She stepped inside. Spike nodded to the ex-demon and followed suit.

"Oh, oh, Katherine. I want you to meet Tara." Willow hurried up to the demi-god, pulling a fairly shy blonde with her.

Tara looked Katherine in the eyes. She felt the magic and power coming off the fellow blonde in waves.

Katherine instantly saw the past, present, and future of the witch. 'Forgive your family. They were fools. Forgive Willow. She didn't mean to hurt you. Unfortunately, her confidence lies in her magic. You never know how much more time you have left, Tara. Live, forgive, love.' Katherine said telepathically to the witch.

"Th-thanks." Tara said, nervously. She liked the witch in front of her already. No-demi-god. She was told she was a demi-god.

"I don't look much like one, do I?" Katherine asked. Tara looked at her. "Oh. Sorry. Can't help it sometimes. Most of the time I'm supposed to...old habits die-hard. Example: William. He smokes cigs all the soddin' time an' it's not like he can get addicted to the nicotine. He's dead."

"Y'know, I resent that." Spike said as the three witches laughed.

"M'sure ya do. So...this is starting to look a little boring, can we do something to get this party started??" Katherine looked around, searching for Anya.

"How about 'I Never'?" Buffy perked up for the first time since Katherine and Spike arrived. Seeing them joke around, with no cruel comments upset her deeply.

"Fine with me." The two immortal beings said at the same time.

Xander shook off the creepiness of their likeness. "No prob with me."

"Tara? Anya? Willow?" Buffy looked at the three as she said their names.

"I'm in." Willow said.

"Is there drinking?" Anya asked. When Buffy nodded, she said, "Got me."

"I-I guess so." Tara replied.

'Tara. You've known them almost two years. Be confident in yourself. These are your friends. You shouldn't be hiding. You're Tara Maclay. Be damn proud of it.'

Tara sat a margin straighter with those words of encouragement and Katherine smiled. In a more confident voice, Tara said, "I'm in."

Katherine pumped a fist in the air. "Get the tequila!"

"And seven shot glasses." Buffy added.

Anya went and the six left moved into sitting positions in a circle on the floor. Anya handed everyone a shot glass and put the bottle in the center of the circle. She then took her seat next to Xander in the circle.

"For Anyanka's benefit, since she's never played before, everyone fills their glasses and take turns telling something they **haven't** done. Everyone who has, bottoms up!" Katherine explained. "Slayer first."

"I've never been outside of California." Buffy said. Tara, Anya, Spike and Katherine downed the contents of their glasses and refilled them.

Liking the taste, Tara poured herself another as she went next, blushing slightly as she said, "I've never slept with a guy." Everyone except her, Spike and Xander downed a shot.

Willow took her turn. "I never had sex in a crypt."

Spike and Katherine drank their respective shots. "Slayer, no lying." Katherine said as she refilled her glass. Buffy drank up reluctantly.

"I don't even wanna know." Xander commented before saying, "I never...had sex in a cemetery."

"How different is that from a crypt? A crypt is **in** a cemetery, bricklayer." Spike retorted as he, Katherine, Buffy, and Anya drank their shots.

"Shut up, Spike." Xander said, lamely.

'Anyanka, say, "I never slept with Spike".' Katherine said to the ex-demon telepathically.

Anya beamed brightly at her old friend. "I never had sex with Spike."

Katherine smiled as she downed her shot. "Slayer." Buffy glared at the blonde, but drank.

"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed.

"God, I don't want to know this." Xander said.

"Will's turn." Katherine said, ignoring the comments from the Hellmouth natives.

"Never had sex with a demon or ex-demon. Dog-boy included, Red."

Anya, Willow, Xander, and-of course- Katherine took back the shots. "Vengeance demon. Sixteen hundreds. God was he hot..."Katherine trailed off, seeing the gang looking at her, semi-amused. "Y'know. I haven't gone a round without a drink 'til now. I never slept with a girl."

Xander, Spike, Tara, and Willow knocked back their shots. "Slayer's go." Spike said.

"I never had sex in a tree." Buffy said.

Katherine and Spike looked at each other, their thoughts drifting to that night in nineteen twenty-six, and then later in nineteen ninety-eight. Then they drank up and smirked at the looks they got from everyone.

"I never slept with a vampire." Tara said. Buffy, Katherine, Spike and Anya took back shots. Xander looked Anya and she just shrugged.

"I never had sex in a public place." Willow only blushed slightly as she said this. Everyone but herself and Tara drank from their glasses.

"I never...I never thought the Evil Undead was a hottie." Xander took his turn.

"I sure as hell hope not. Ain't my cuppa." Spike retorted.

The girls laughed, and since this was a game about the truth, they all drank. Xander wrinkled his nose at the fact that every girl he knew, including Anya, thought the bleached blond was a hottie.

The girls laughed again when Spike said, "Oh, what the hell?" and downed a shot himself.

"I've never had a threesome." Anya said.

When Katherine and Spike got a couple of looks as they downed their liquor, the demi-god quickly explained, "Not with each other. That's just too much togetherness."

"Never died more than once." Spike said. Buffy, Katherine and Anya drank their shots.

"I understand Buffy, but...Anya, Katherine?" Willow asked.

"People have thought the killed me...I think that counts, don't you...oh, um they've though they killed me...about...oh, hell hundreds, thousands of times. There was this one time when..." Katherine trailed off recalling a memory in the past involving a vast amount of liquor, fighting words and daggers...oh, and fur coats.

"It takes a lot to kill vengeance demons. I was with Katherine many of those times." Anya answered, smiling.

"Oh, wow. People don't like you?" Tara asked.

"Oh, no. I'm liked just fine. Just in bar fights I start when I get drunk. Which I'm not...yet. Over the years, I've become very liquor tolerant, unfortunately- lots a bar fights." Katherine said to the blonde witch. "My turn. Never shagged a Slayer."

"Okay, I think you're making your point." Buffy said angrily as Spike and Xander each downed their respective shots.

Anya looked at Xander.

"Faith." He mouthed.

"And what's that?" Katherine asked, clearly amused.

Willow and Tara watched the exchange, the witches filling their shot glasses all the while.

"That I slept with Spike." Buffy admitted. Spike was sitting back looking back and forth between the blondes like it was a tennis game and Xander was trying to pretend the conversation wasn't happening.

"No, slept implies once. Sleeping is what you mean, 'cause that'd mean repeatedly. An' I couldn't care less about your sex life Slayer, I just want to get my old friend drunk so the 'real' fun can begin." Katherine replied.

"This is too much for my sensitive ears." Xander complained.

Buffy seethed at the demi-god. Katherine smiled pleasantly. "Your turn."

Buffy shrugged it off. "I never dated someone for more than two years."

Everyone except Buffy and Katherine took a drink and refilled their shot glasses.

"Wow. That makes us commitment phobic." Katherine commented.

"Huh." Buffy made a sound.

"I never...participated in an orgy." Tara said, definitely on the tipsy side.

Looks like someone can't hold their liquor, Katherine thought as she drank her shot solo.

"I've never participated in any demonic illegal activities of any kind." Willow said.

Anya, Katherine, and Spike drank their shots. "This is the last round. Seriously." Katherine said, her speech impossibly clear.

"I agree." Anya said, already on the drunken side.

"I neva...I neva tortured someone for my own fun." Xander took his turn.

"Whatta about the other person's?" Katherine asked with Spike simultaneously.

"Okay. Didn't wanna know that. But, still doesn't matter, their pleasure, yours...somebody's..." the carpenter shrugged.

Katherine, Spike and Buffy slammed back a shot as Anya said, "I've never felt bad for killing anyone I **did** eradicate."

"And eradicate means...?" Buffy asked.

"Kill, Slayer." Spike said as Katherine took back a shot. Buffy nodded and followed suit.

"I never...got drunk and did something I regretted later." Spike said.

Buffy drank again. "Cave girl Buffy. Not fun."

"My turn. I've never killed someone for the hell of it, for fun." Katherine said.

Buffy and Spike downed their respective shots, Buffy saying, "Game...over."

"So, whaddo we do now?" Katherine inquired.

"Oh! I took score." Everyone looked at the redhead. "Just a habit. I'm sure I'll break it someday, but maybe not...anyway, the scores! Katherine and Spike have a score of fifteen and fourteen. Anya and Buffy each have twelve. Xander and I have five and Tara has four."

"Only fifteen? Wow. You guys are tame." Katherine paused. Then, "Anyanka, you got whiskey or somethin'?" she leaned on Spike's shoulder.

Willow reached for the bottle of liquor and poured herself another shot before knocking it back.

"Kat, you're already pissed." Spike told her.

"I know. Jus' want to forget my life...for a little while. Last time, I was able to forget three centuries. I wanna go for four." Katherine grinned as Anya got up and came back with the liquor in question. "Anyanka, you're my best friend."

Katherine downed the tequila shot she still had. "Ooh, I know. Let's play 'Truth or Dare'. Consequences: a shot of whiskey."

"You just love the drinking games, don't you?" Spike said, watching his friend drink another shot of alcohol.

"What else is there to do?" Katherine asked. She clapped her hands. "Okay, who's up for it? 'Truth or Dare'."

No one answered.

"Oh, c'mon, people! I'm, **centuries **older than you people and Spike's dead and **we** have more life than you!" She persuaded, despite the indignant "Hey!" from Spike.

"I'm in." Tara said, up for some fun.

"Yes! Now, Redhead, Slayer, Anyanka, Xander. I know Will's in." Katherine pressed.

"If Tara's in, I'm in." Willow smiled at her girlfriend. They had decided to try again and take it slow.

"What the hell, I'm already gonna have a headache in the morning." Buffy said. Good thing Dawn's at Janice's.

"I'm in. More alcohol." Anya grabbed the bottle from Katherine. The only thing better than sex and money...

"No sense in being the odd man out. I'm game." Xander agreed.

"Good. I'm first. Redhead, truth or dare?" Katherine turned to what she'd like to call her "protégé."

"Dare. I feel dare-y today." Willow answered, a little on the drunken side after six shots of liquor and well on her way to her seventh.

"I dare you...to...seven min in heaven with Tara." The blonde dared the redhead.

"Fine." Willow was indeed dare-y. And obviously a little incapacitated mentally to take consenquences.

The Scoobies watched the couple go to the closet, blushing and smiling when Anya called out, "No sex in the closet!" Xander and I haven't christened it yet.

"You think they'll only be seven minutes?" Buffy asked to everyone in general.

"I'll make sure of it. I didn't start the game just for it to end after the first round." Katherine replied, also to everyone in general.

Anya nodded and downed her shot glass. "The games must continue." She downed another shot. "And so must the drinks."

Katherine looked at her watch. "Three more minutes." She stood-or, tried to stand-and stumbled into the kitchen. She came back with three different bags of chips. "Enjoy."

"Are they actually...you know?" Xander asked while grabbing a bag of chips and opening it.

Katherine closed her eyes and concentrated.

In her mind's eye, she saw Willow and Tara making out on the floor of the walk-in-closet.

She opened her eyes, smirking. "Oh, yeah."

"So, then, you could spy on people?" Xander paused. "That would've been cool in high school."

Anya elbowed him.

"Ow!"

"You were thinking of the girls' locker room again." Anya pouted.

"I didn't mean it like that. You know I love you." Xander kissed Anya.

'Time up!'

In the closet, Willow and Tara jumped as they broke their kiss and smiled.

"I love you." Willow whispered.

A smile broke out on the blonde's face. "I love you too. "Tara followed Willow out the closet.

"Right on time." Buffy addressed Katherine directly for the first time all night "How'd you do that?"

Katherine smiled secretively. "I'll never tell."

A drunken Katherine and an equally drunk Spike tumbled to the couch in the living room, Spike on top. They stared at each other for several moments before kissing hungrily. They gripped each other, trying to remove clothes with a ferocity that only a demon could know of.

Katherine was not drunk enough to not realize where they were going. 'Wait, Will." She looked him in the eyes. "This...has to be different now. I-I can't sleep wit' you, just to sleep with you. An' I can't have you imagining it's **her**. It has to be me. B'cause...I'm **not** her." She said, thinking, way to kill the mood, Kat.

Willow, Tara and Buffy helped each other into the Summers' house. It turned out to be a very good thing Dawn wasn't home; she'd have laughed at the three stumbling into the house and trying to get all three up to their respective rooms.

Buffy threw herself onto her bed once inside her room. It was all out. Her friends didn't react too badly, but the Slayer had a feeling it had to do with the liquor. She soon drifted to sleep.

Willow and Tara collapsed onto their bed, giggling drunkenly. Willow kissed her girlfriend, hoping the blonde witch could feel much the redhead loved and happy she was with Tara at the moment. They moved up to their pillows, still in their clothes and wrapped in each other's arms.

Xander and Anya lay passed out on their living room floor, arms around each other. Food and liquor bottles littered the floor around them. Anya and Xander were wet, having been dared to take a three-minute shower in ice-cold water and then being covered in whipped cream as what Katherine had called a "wedding tradition."

Katherine awaited Spike's answer, hoping to her bosses she hadn't just ruined everything, even if what she said was true.

The blonde vampire stared her in the face, his gaze unwavering. 'It has to be me...B'cause I'm **not** her.' She had said.

Of course Katherine wasn't her. She wasn't as difficult as the Slayer. That was a good thing. She was exotic and her blue-gray eyes hid nothing. He'd never compare her to the Slayer. He loved Katherine, just maybe not the way she hoping...or did he?

Spike hadn't thought of Katherine much since Sunnydale. There were so many other things that had filled his mind. But, there she was. In the flesh. With him again.

The thing was, she understood him. Didn't question him...except when it came to Buffy. She wanted him. Loved him...could he love her? Could he get over the Slayer, move on, and try to find happiness with the blonde who was there with him, and wouldn't run away?

At that moment, he decided yes. Yes, he could. All that and more. As for the love part? Only time would tell.

Time had seemed to stand still for the demi-god as she watched the emotions flicker across Spike's face. He finally stopped and stared at her, before claiming her mouth in a searing kiss.

It wasn't the hungry, drunken kiss of earlier. It was a kiss promising something Katherine couldn't yet put her finger on. She didn't care what it was yet. All she cared about was his cool lips on her warm ones.

She'd actually seen the future in his eyes. She saw him, like her, getting married to a blonde. Another blonde stood off to the side as the maid of honor, sadness, anger and joy for Spike radiating off her.

As Spike started to kiss her neck, she couldn't help thinking if that had been her. Cast off to the side the minute his precious Buffy knew how she really felt. Would he drop her for the love of the Slayer?


	4. Morals

Note: Graphic violence, much angst and insight into Kat's past.

**Chapter Four: Morals**

The Magic Box opened on schedule, Anya strangely tolerant of hangovers. Tomorrow was the day of the wedding. After Xander took enough aspirin to dull his headache, he dropped Anya of at the shop to be a jittery mess and went to work at the construction site.

Buffy, Tara and Willow came by later. Buffy had missed her shift and was therefore fired. Katherine and Spike showed up a little after three, Katherine a little perkier than usual.

Anya had spent decades with the blonde and could tell that she obviously had sex with Spike. But she decided, for once, to not comment on it. Katherine gave her a grateful look and she felt keeping quiet was worth it.

Then, her mind drifted back to the reason she was nervously dusting the shelves and not counting the money. Tomorrow she was getting married! "Katherine, I need to speak with you."

Katherine nodded and followed the ex-demon into the training room. "So?" she sat on the mat in the center of the room and Anya sat across from her. She awaited her friend to speak.

"I don't know if I can marry Xander. I'm scared he won't love me anymore when we get old, and what if I can't have children? If I can't have children, we'll die without someone to carry off the genes and Harris name, and what if Xander gets fired? I'll be the only one bringing in income to our home, and what if Xander wants a younger woman when we're married, and-"

"Anya." Katherine pointedly used her human name. Anya looked at her. "He loves **you**. He wants **you**. He'll marry **you**. He'll stay wit' **you**. 'Til the day you die."

"Really?" Anya looked at her friend hopefully.

"I can see your future, Anya. Don't doubt me so much." Katherine smiled, meeting Anya's eyes.

_Anya smiled up at Xander. "I do."_

_Xander returned it as the priest said, "You may kiss the bride." He pulled his new wife towards him and kissed her as the doors burst opened._

_Everything next happened in nearly a blink of the eye. Warren and Andrew ran in, guns cocked and aimed, shooting off rounds wildly. By the time Katherine knocked Andrew out, Warren had run off and the damage had been done._

_Anya lay dead at the altar, Xander also lifeless and next to her. Their arms were wrapped around each other and the smiles still on their faces. Buffy was screaming and holding Dawn, also dead. Willow was doing the same to Tara._

_Then she stood, intent on taking out the twerps who killed the love her life. Katherine stepped into her path._

"_Get out of my way, Katherine." Willow's eyes were steadily turning black._

"_No." Katherine replied._

_Willow raised her hand and a black lightning bolt flew from her hand towards Katherine. Spike, realizing the only one who could stop her was Katherine, knew she couldn't afford the magic shock. He stepped in front of the demi-god and blocked it, but the power was enough to turn him to dust._

_Katherine's eyes lit up as she realized what had just happened. _

"_Oops. Is your boyfriend dead? Look how much I **don't care**."_

_Katherine was the exact opposite to Willow. Where Willow's eyes and hair turned black, Katherine's turned white. "Oh, you will."_

_They raised their arms simultaneous and black and white magic flew at the opponents clashing midway to its target. The magic showdown had begun, no one to stop them, the Slayer was a blubbering mess by her dead sister._

Katherine blinked. "You'll get married, "she said over the growing lump in her throat. "I, uh, need to go talk t'Spike."

Anya should've known something was wrong when Katherine called Spike by the name he went by since he was turned. But she didn't. She only followed Katherine out of the room.

'_Spike, those nerds, you know where they keep?'_

'_Yeah, why? What's wrong, Kat?'_

She found the information she needed without his permission. She looked at him.

Spike knew that look. Her face was impassive, set with determination. Her hair was steadily turning to weirdest shade of lavender, as did her eyes.

'_What are you going to do?'_

Katherine looked at Spike and there was only a flicker of emotion before it was gone. _'I'm endin' this.'_

Buffy looked up to see Katherine and Spike staring at each other. From their facial expressions, it was obvious that they were having a mental argument. She elbowed Willow, who tapped Tara and pointed to Katherine, whose hair and eyes were turning lavender.

"How exactly do you expect to do that?" Spike asked out loud.

Katherine held out her right hand. A short dagger with a jagged blade, a lavender color, appeared. "Will, I'm gonna do what I'm ordered. Doesn't really matter if you're with me on it. They have to die." She closed her hand around the weapon.

"They're human!" Spike exclaimed. Why did he suddenly care? He just did. It didn't matter, did it? No.

"They're evil. Don't get in m'way, Will." Katherine moved towards the door.

Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She looked at him. She stepped to him and kissed him softly before pulling away.

"Sorry." She pulled her right arm back and punched him in the nose with all her strength. He flew back onto the reading table, unconscious.

The four females in the shop looked at her. She turned lavender eyes to them. "Tell him, I 'ad to." She then turned and walked out he store, whistling and twirling the dagger in her hands.

"We're gonna kill the Slayer and her friends, guys. We'll be completely successful this time."

"W-wait! Killing?! W-w-when did killing become a part of the deal?" Jonathan protested against the plan. He didn't want to be a murderer. Katrina was bad enough.

"Relax, Sparky. It'll work and we won't get caught." Warren sometimes wondered why he dealt with the spineless loser. At least Andrew didn't protest his ideas.

"I don't bloody think so." The nerds turned to see a woman with lavender eyes and hair standing in the doorway. In her hand, a lavender dagger.

"Who are you?" Warren asked. She was a woman. There was no reason to be scared of her. She just had this **air** about her. This air that said, _"fear me"_...Not that Warren was scared.

Suddenly the temperature in the room dropped below the freezing point. Papers began to combust into flame.

Andrew and Jonathan abruptly stood and moved close together. "Who-who are you?" the taller of the two asked.

"Name's Katherine. Better known as 'Kat the Destroyer'." She said monotonously.

"I-I read about you. You killed a lot of people in the fourteen hundreds." As an afterthought and in a quieter voice, Jonathan said, "We pissed you off, huh?"

Katherine gave a short nod before a huge gust of wind swept through, not blowing out the fire, but pinning the three to the wall.

"Y-you don't have to do this! We won't kill the Slayer and her friends! Promise!" Warren pleaded as she came closer.

Katherine stared him in his eyes. "I see the future. I can hear the thoughts going through your head. You can't lie t'me."

At that, the boys screamed for help.

Her laugh was toneless. "Time's frozen in the house. Your parents won't 'ave to know they had such idiotic fools f'children."

With that said, she slashed the blade across Andrew's throat. He gurgled for a moment before his head dropped to his chest.

"I'm gonna die, because you're crazy-and I'm gonna die next!" Jonathan yelled at Warren as Katherine neared him.

"My...bosses...said to let you go." Lavender eyes looked confused as she concentrated on what the Powers that Be told her. "You're...fairly innocent. You don't plan anything dangerous. You can atone for your mistakes. I agree. "She titled her head to the side. "Go to the Magic Box. Tell them you're there to help."

Jonathan was suddenly on his feet and wisely ran out the basement. He was just as quickly on his way to the magic shop and the Scoobies.

Katherine turned to Warren. "You. You plead for your life. For me to allow you to continue living, yet y'take lives. First-your girlfriend, b'cause she didn't want your pathetic ass anymore."

Katherine turned to look behind her where her first apparition appeared. "How could you do that to me, Warren? I thought we loved each other? I thought you loved me. But you played with my mind, violated my body and you killed me. And then you tried to frame someone else. How could you?"

Warren looked at Katherine. "Get that fake out of here!"

"Oh, she's not a fake, Warren. She's the real soul, sent by the Powers That Be just f'you."

"No..." Warren's face turned into one of anguish. "Katrina, baby, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry doesn't cut it anymore, Warren. You blew it the first time. And then, then you tried to make me your willing slave. And when I realized what you and your sick pervs for friends were doing, you killed me. Rot in hell, bastard!"

She disappeared then and Katherine turned back to her victim. Tears streamed down his face and he was still muttering that he was sorry. "Then, you planned on killing the Slayer and her friends. Granted, there's no love f'the Slayer, but I **do** like 'er friends. And, for this, y'die. But not like the other. Slower...painful."

She held up her hand and a bullet appeared. She held it up for the human to see. "'S so tiny. Can't b'lieve this thing could kill the first few mortal friends I allowed myself to have. And you'd have killed them. For that, "Katherine smiled slowly. "You die, bastard."

Willow and Buffy were helping Spike sit up when Jonathan ran into the shop like a bat out of hell, scared and out of breath. Buffy stood, expecting an attack from the nerds.

"'K-Kat The Destroyer' said to come he-here a-and sat that I'm here to he-help." He stuttered.

"'Kat the Destroyer'?" Buffy echoed.

Anya and Spike shared a look. They hadn't been with her at the time, but demons still talked of when she went on a rampage that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

"Who'd she kill?" Spike asked sullenly.

"A-Andrew and she's gonna kill Warren." Jonathan answered. The bleached blonde put him on edge. And scared the crap out of him.

"Why not you?" Tara asked and Jonathan shrugged in response.

"**They** must've told her not to." Anya answered logically.

Spike turned and left the shop into the late afternoon, his only parting words, "I've got to stop her."

Warren cried out in pain when the blade dug into his wrist. Katherine watched dispassionately with lavender eyes as blood spurted onto her white clothes and then dripped to the floor. She repeated the same action on the other wrist and let the blood stain her clothes once more.

"Y'don't deserve t'live, because you don't understand. No life should be in your hands. Someone's life o'death shouldn't be decided by you, just like **I** shouldn't be killing **you**." Katherine lectured.

She held the dagger in her hand, admiring her work. A bullet had been slammed into his chest, puncturing his right lung. Various cuts littered his body, shallow compared to the ones on his wrists.

He coughed up blood. "I'm...sorry," he gasped out.

"_I'm...sorry," he gasped out._

_Katherine...a thirteen year old orphan stood there, infamous dagger in hand, her eyes, her heart, her soul uncomprehending to the meaning of the words, "I'm sorry."_

"_Sorry?! **You're** sorry?! 'Sorry' doesn't bring my parents back, bastard!" Katherine yelled heatedly. She stabbed him in the chest. "If I'm parentless, so are y'children." She slit his throat._

Six centuries ago came crashing back, haunting her. "No! You don't get to say it! Redhead would've killed you in a week or two anyway. Don't see why it matters." Katherine smiled then. It was a cold smile. Dispassionate of all feeling.

"Now, 'tis time t'say 'G'day' to Warren Meers. The would've been killer of many, finally killed himself."

"No-!" Warren yelled as Katherine slashed his throat in one quick motion. The wind holding him against the wall dissipated, pitching his lifeless body next to Andrew's on the ground.

The fire raged, burning everything except for the bodies. The fire was obviously mystical, for no smoke came from it. She watched idly as everything burned around her.

The dagger disappeared and her hair and eyes returned to normal. Her white clothes bloody, Katherine left the basement and let time in the house resume.

Spike ran as fast as he could towards the house. He could imagine what he'd find if he wasn't there in enough time to stop her. The smell of blood hit him before he even reached the basement. He saw the two bodies and shook his head. He then backed away and ran out the house to look for Katherine.

It was almost funny. And Katherine would laugh if she didn't hurt so much. As she walked down Main Street in broad daylight, no one noticed that she was covered in blood. No one noticed the dazed look on her face or the blood on her hands. No one thought she must've killed someone or that she was running from someone. They just ignored her.

Katherine opened the door to her home in a poor village in England. Her parents were hours late, and she was worried. She opened it to reveal her aunt, crying. A sense of dread found her.

"_Kat, y'mum, a-and dad, they were found by the river." Her aunt wept on the child's shoulder._

_Katherine's eyes widened and tears formed. Her hair and eyes turned lavender as rage began to build within her. They'd all pay._

And it was just as well. She needed to be ignored until Spike found her.

Katherine entered the pub where the seediest characters that knew of the supernatural world spent their days. No one noticed her presence as she walked up to the bartender. That changed a second later.

"Who killed the witch an' her husband?" She asked in as cold a voice as she could.

The bartender began laughing, and others joined in. This girl, they all thought. This little girl trying to be intimidating. "Run along, lil' girl, find a dolly."

Katherine's blood boiled and instantaneously, her hair and eyes turned lavender. Electricity crackled around her body. She leapt onto the counter and the bartender was pinned to the wall. The pub was deathly quiet as she said, "Let's try this again. Who killed the witch an' her husband?"

She couldn't bring herself to go into the shop. So, in her bloodstained clothes, she sat on the bench and waited for Spike to finally find her.

"Katherine killed two humans. Do you know why?" Buffy asked.

"A-Andrew and Warren planned o-on crashing the wedding. I think their plan was t-to kill you." Jonathan answered.

Dawn and Xander had showed shortly after Spike left. Xander wanted to press the issue of Buffy's "relationship" with Spike that had been brought out into the open last night, but he acknowledged that Katherine killing people was more important. Now, they sat in the shop, tensely awaiting the vampire or the demi-god.

As if she couldn't understand the concept, Buffy said, "She killed humans. How could she kill humans?"

Spike retreated to the Magic box after not finding Katherine for three hours. As he moved to enter the shop, he noticed a blonde sitting on the bench. It took a moment for him to realize it was Katherine. He walked over to her slowly and pulled her to her feet, getting a bit of blood on his hands.

"I had to." Katherine whispered to her love, her friend. It was a mantra. If she didn't say it aloud, she said it mentally.

Spike felt her pain and pulled her to him as she cried. When she was cried out for the moment , he walked her over to the entrance of the shop. She stared at it with foreboding, wanting to skip this part of the night and go to the part where she washed the blood off. Spike pulled her in before she could contemplate running.

Time to face the music.

Katherine knew Spike would do it, and she was trying to be ready. She tried to wipe the few tears she'd shed away before facing the Scooby Gang, bloody hands, clothes and all.

"You killed humans." Buffy accused.

"My job. Didn' you hear about my name?" The blonde started to pace the front of the shop as she pieced her thoughts together. She'd seen Faith's mistake. Nonchalance was not going to work with them.

"Don't you have any morals? Humans are for the police to deal with." The uncaring attitude the older blonde sported was making her see Faith once more.

Katherine suddenly stood still and rigid. She slowly turned to face Buffy. "I have a **bunch** of morals!"

"Oh really? I don't see how killing people is showing them!" Buffy yelled back.

"I killed them because I had to! I killed them because it's what I was told to by The Powers! Most of all, I did it for everyone in this entire bloody store! So it wasn't that only one saw the next year! If you don't appreciate that, well, sod off!"

"Did anyone else hear, 'so it wasn't that only one saw the next year'?" Xander asked, looking around for nods of agreement.

Katherine said, "Yeah. And it damn sure wasn't going to be me."

"Is that to justify yourself?"

"Bullshit, Slayer! When I first came 'ere, you lot were all spiraling down to your own hell! You were all a bloody mess! I could see it all! Mr. Commitment-"she pointed to Xander. "-Was going to leave Anya at the altar. Then she'd be her vengeance-y self again and we'd all get the porn show of our lives thanks to the Three-Who-Have-No-Lives, starring William and Anyanka! You, "she glared at Buffy harshly, "would've had such a fucked up 'relationship' with Will, he'd 'ave, first, near raped you and, second, run off to Africa to get a bloody soul! Warren'd go complete revenge on your ass for messing up his plans that he'd try to kill you and end up only killing Tara. Willow wouldn't be able to bring her back and that fact that she only had her love back for a day would be enough to send her over that edge and she'd go black magic on your asses. Giles'd come back to town, but would **barely** be able to do anything useful in the way of helping. And our **only** hope of **saving the world**...**Xander** and his speech about **broken yellow crayons**!

"But that wasn't it! I changed it when I came here! This time, Xander and Anya'd say, 'I do' for bloody sure! But they wouldn't make it past 'You may kiss the bride'! Warren and his little sidekick would kill not only Anya, but also Xander, Tara, and Dawn! Willow would do the dark witch thing once more and we'd be back at bloody fuckin' square one! But this time, there's no way to stop her!

"So, don't you tell **me** I have no soddin' morals! I 'ave plenty of 'em!"

The color drained from all the humans' faces at Katherine's newest revelation. Died...some of them had been about to **die** tomorrow...!

"So, then...you saved me from killing people?" Willow asked, meekly.

"You'd have killed Warren. And Rack, not that I'd 'ave been sorry about the asshole."

"S-so you killed for her?" Tara asked.

Katherine slashed the throat of the unnamed man and moved on in the night. He didn't matter to her. His life was worthless.

Katherine shook her head of the memory. "It's already got a few deaths on it, why not?"

She held out her hands in delight as people ran, trying to escape. Electricity flowed from her fingertips and electrocuted all until it smelled of burning flesh.

She shook her head again. "Look, I need to go somewhere where people don't jump on me without waiting for explanations." She needed to get out. She felt suffocated, the memories continuously running through her mind. She turned and walked out the store.

Spike was a little unsettled by the declaration. No, he was **extremely** unsettled and now very glad his friend came to town. He tilted his head to the left and raised an eyebrow at the Slayer. Never one for missing a dig, he said, "And, I'm just wondering, is there any room in your mouth for anything other than your foot Slayer?" Then he was out the door to follow Katherine.

When the two blondes left, everyone turned to look at one another. Willow sat down at the table, trying to grip the concept that Katherine saved Tara's **life** and her **soul** by killing Warren. Tara put her hand on her shoulder. The redhead looked up and smiled at her lover.

Tara was inwardly reeling. Katherine averted her death. Twice. She was so grateful to the blonde demi-god and fellow witch, despite hr having killed two people. She did it to save lives and the world. But she couldn't help the nagging feeling that her death had been fate...

Xander and Anya stared across the room at each other. Anya was painfully hurt that if Katherine hadn't come to town, she'd have been left at the altar. Then, she had to come to grips that they would've went through the entire ceremony, only to be killed at the end of it. Xander's thoughts were on a similar route. Starting with how could he even consider leaving the woman he loved at the altar? Ending at what would he have done if she'd been killed, even only a second before his own death?

Buffy and Dawn could barely take in that if Katherine hadn't killed the humans, just about everyone in this room, outside of Buffy and Jonathan would be dead by this time tomorrow.

Dawn looked at her sister. She had a deep frown on her face as though she couldn't understand all that Katherine had just told them and why Katherine would do that for people she just met.

Katherine had told Dawn about her past and the teenager now understood why Katherine knew certain things. How she knew that white magic wasn't addictive like the dark. How it was healthier for a witch. Also, how the more you practiced it, the less you'd be tempted by the dark. Dawn finally understood why Katherine practicing white magic with Willow was okay. Besides, she trusted Spike's judgment.

To say Dawn was a little angry at Buffy was an understatement. "I hope you're happy." Dawn said.

Everyone turned to look at her, but she was concentrating on Buffy. Buffy looked Dawn in the eye.

"Do you enjoy jumping on people about things before getting the facts? First Spike and the eggs, then Katherine and her morals."

"What?" Buffy looked at Dawn as if to say, _"What are you angry about now?"_

"I spent yesterday with Kat." Buffy raised an eyebrow at the endearment. "We talked. About her life."

Buffy's look changed as if to say, _"Why should I care?"_

Dawn's responding glare was, _"I'm getting there."_

The teenager continued. "When she was six, her mom taught her white magic. So, by the time she was thirteen-to-fourteen that she'd have control over herself. That there'd be no way she'd use it for revenge. Wrong. When she was thirteen, both her parents were killed. She spent the next year in the dark stuff, murdering the killers and anyone else that stood in her way."

"_It's already got a few deaths on it, why not?"_

"She became addicted to the magic. She had to work harder than Willow to get cleansed of the dark stuff 'cause she had no one to help her. After the Powers That Be witnessed her accomplishment, and offered the job. So, you don't even know why she did it or how it affected her. **I** didn't even know until yesterday."

"Look, I need to go somewhere where people don't jump on me without waiting for explanations."

Dawn went into the training room to be by herself as Anya helpfully added, "That's why she's called 'Kat the Destroyer'. "she went to the door and flipped the sign to closed before going to count the money.

She keeps doing that, justifying herself for things. There's always something to justify her. How I found out she had some dark past and that killing Warren and his buddy probably bothered her. I can never win against Katherine.

Katherine was having flashbacks of slitting throats and using magic on humans from six centuries ago. She shuddered as she walked down the dark street, her destination her penthouse apartment.

Katherine dumped the flammable liquid on the tied person. "One mo' chance." The human stared at her defiantly. She shrugged and made a fireball appear in her hand. "Guess not." She threw it at the human and watched as the body burned.

Spike caught up with her by the time she reached the door and he opened it for her. He pushed the "up" button on the elevator. He put his arms on her shoulders and guided her in gently. She leaned back against him. The doors opened to their floor and he guided her off the elevator and to the door.

"Not so fast, asshole." She held her hands out and the earth shook. The man fell as Katherine stalked towards him. She pulled his head back and slit his throat with the lavender dagger.

He unlocked the front door and pulled Katherine with him. She watched as he locked the door behind them.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to Spike as he led her to the bathroom.

"For what?" He couldn't remember for the life of him what she had done.

"When I punched you, in the nose."

"Don't worry about that." He turned on the shower and started to leave the bathroom when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Don't leave me."

Katherine ran her hand down the pale chest she was using as a pillow. After the impromptu joint shower, they went to her room where they just slept in each other's arms. She hoped he was sleeping because she didn't need him to worry about her. She came to help him, not vice versa.

She couldn't sleep, though that was obvious by the not sleeping. Earlier today had taken her back six centuries into the past. A past where she succumbed to dark magic and killed anyone in her way. A past where a thirteen-year-old girl could be named "Kat the Destroyer" and strike fear in the hearts of many. A past when not even a vengeance demon could wish away her pain, nothing could. And after she realized that what she was doing was wrong and got back on the right track, she felt no better than the year before.

She had blood on her hands.

Katherine walked down the dirt road to her home as the sunset, blood covering her. She was dangerous, she was feared, and she was alone. She'd just killed a contact of the murderer and felt pretty good.

And from the Watchers' diaries and other texts, it was **a lot** of blood. At least a hundred people died at the blonde's hands. It was even said that she killed a meddling Slayer. Her pain and grief had overwhelmed her to a point where she didn't care what happened to other people, or their families.

Even before today, she'd had blood on her hands. It wasn't going to wash away.

She did it for Willow. For the redhead. She was too similar to Katherine in the magic. She'd be a powerful witch. And if she got on the right track, **without** killing someone, she'd be just that more powerful.

She scrubbed her hands furiously, hoping it'd wash off so she could move on. No evidence. She didn't come this far to be caught red-handed. She scrubbed harder.

Katherine was a murderer. There was blood on her hands. And no matter how hard she scrubbed, it wasn't washing away.

Spike was awake. Katherine thought he was sleeping, mostly because she hoped he was. The air was permeated by her feelings. The pain, the anger, the regret and the sadness. Acting as if it was a subconscious change, he moved his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He could almost see the smile and hear the sigh.

There was nothing he could do to fix her. The past that haunted her and the present that she wanted to forget. But he could be there for her and hope the wedding would help.


	5. Emotions

**_Chapter Five: Emotions_**

Drowning. That was what she felt like. She felt like she was drowning. In what, she was unsure. Whether it was despair or blood. It surrounded her. Despair. And blood. Millions of hands pushing he under it. Trying to drown her. In blood. She had to fight off the hands as best she could. Fighting…fighting.

She kicked out and flew to the surface, landing on the ground. And it became quicksand. She was sinking. Sinking. And drowning. It became blood again. Why was it always blood?

"No matter how far y'run from your problems, they'll always come back to haunt you." She saw her mother. So beautiful as the ray of light shone on her.

"I don't run." She replied stubbornly.

"An' pretending it didn't happen, that it doesn't bother you, does what exactly? Besides, make y'miserable o'course." Her blue eyes twinkled in merriment.

"You don't understand-"

"Understand what, exactly? You got angry, or it was a direct order from the Powers. Either way, you did it. End of sentence. Doesn' really matter if I believe you should be forgiven, 'cause believe me, I do. What matters is if **you** believe you should be forgiven."

"I was thirteen."

"An' some say it's when y'prove yourself. You did a bang up job on that one, pet."

And she was awake. Spike was obviously talking to the TV very loudly from his place on the living room couch. She entered the room and found him exactly how she expected.

"Well, good morning to you." Spike said.

"G'mornin'. What time is it?" she asked, flopping down next to him and leaning on his shoulder.

"It's eight."

Eight. Eight hours of sleep. Eight hours since she…

"Anya's wedding's at eleven thirty." Katherine commented.

"That's nice."

"You're coming with me." She tried again.

"Doubt it, Kat."

"C'mon. It's my other best friend's wedding. And I'd like to be on your lovely arm."

"Don't call my arm lovely, Kat."

"You're gonna come, then?"

"As long as you swear never to call my arm lovely again."

"Okay, then. I'll just go pick out your clothes b'cause you are so not wearing all black today." The demi-god then bounced out the room as if nothing happened.

Not having to face the Scoobies alone helped to boost her spirits. She wasn't really worried about the Scoobies, more about having to kill the Slayer and messing up Anya's wedding. And then it would be a definite disaster.

_Killing, is that all you do?_ She asked herself. Every aspect of her life involved death. Hell her love life involved death, Spike being a vampire and all. Undead. The term is undead.

She pulled out a blue dress shirt and a pair of black pants and threw them on the bed before trying to find her blue and gray dress.

"You'd look beautiful in that." She could almost hear her father saying.

So now she was having hallucinations in the middle of the day? Well, if she wasn't certifiable before, she damn sure was now.

* * *

It was time. Halfrek, Dawn, Tara and Buffy stood at the back in their hideous green gowns. Anya stood behind them, smiling brightly in her all white ensemble. Dawn was thanking whomever that there had been no need for a flower girl, making her first bridesmaid instead.

She saw Katherine and Spike enter out of the corner of her eye, smartly having decided to avoid the rain. She couldn't help noticing how they looked like they belonged together. Couple comfortable. Katherine waved, smiling and she waved back.

She was glad that Katherine seemed okay. Yesterday she'd seemed messed up and halfway gone. Even as she told Buffy off, she'd seemed dazed, as if in a dream.

Katherine and Spike sat in the second row, on the side of Anya's demons as Xander and Willow took their places in the front as the four Scoobies and "justice demon" got in line.

The music started and the guests started. The bridesmaids moved the aisle one by one, first Dawn, then Halfrek, Tara and lastly, Buffy.

Xander's smile only widened as the music changed and Anya made her way towards him in the front of the room. It suddenly occurred to him that he'd been stupid to want to get away from Anya. To not want to marry her. To be scared.

He loved Anya. And Anya loved him. They weren't his parents. And that was all that mattered. Not even his father drinking religiously at the bar would deter him from marrying her.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"

Katherine watched the nuptials with a smile as it continued, moving on to if anyone protested to speak now or forever hold their peace. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied both Mr. Harris and D'Hoffryn about to speak. She waved her hand quickly as both opened their mouths to speak and found they couldn't. She held her breath, waiting for the priest to continue.

She let it out slowly when they moved on to the vows. Spike looked at her for a moment and she smiled before turning back to the ceremony.

Anya spoke first. "I, Anya, promise to you. To love, and cherish you. To honor you, but not obey you, because frankly you're not a sea captain. And, besides, it anachronistic and misogynistic. I love you and will always love you. Before I knew you, I was like a completely different person. Not even a person really. And I had seen what love could do to people and it was…hurt and sadness. Alone was better. And then there was you. And you knew me, you saw me, and it was nice. You make me feel safe and warm. But, I do trust you with my heart. Take care of it because it's all I have, and if you let me, I'll take care of your heart too. I can't imagine a me without you and I don't ever want to know what that's like. I hope you feel the way I do because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, I get it now. I finally get love, Xander."

Buffy couldn't control what her subconscious was telling her as she continued to stray from the ceremony to look at Spike in the second row. He seemed happy. With Katherine. She hadn't seen him like that since he first arrived in Sunnydale. Had she done that to him? Worn him down? Made him weary? Sad? Depressed? Was she his real hell and torment? The bane of his existence and reason for needing someone like Katherine?

"I, Xander, promise to love you. I promise to cherish you forever. Before this day, I had doubts. Even when Katherine came and told us what was going to happen, I had doubts, no matter how much I love you. Before I met you, I had bad luck in the love department. There was a lotta bad choices and bad moves. And, to tell you the truth, when we first started out, I didn't know if we'd even last nearly three years or not. But then, I watched you walk down the aisle a few minutes ago and I had to ask myself, 'how could I doubt or relationship?' How could I think that I would mess up, when I should've realized that I'd try my hardest to make sure I never hurt you? Now, I just want you to know that I love you just the way you are, it doesn't matter about your past, or mine, and I hope you never change."

Katherine looked at Spike out the corner of her eye and tried to ignore the fact that his concentration was more on Buffy than the ceremony. She kinda should've expected that. It wasn't like he just fell out of love with her the minute Katherine came to town. Besides, he was a good friend. The best, actually. He stood beside her the other day, even against Buffy who was technically in the right. Was it a mistake to bring it past friendship for real this time? To try a real relationship at the risk of breaking a friendship? She didn't know, but she was starting to doubt that she and Spike should be anything more than friends, no matter how much she may love him.

"With the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Anya, the unconventional person she was, pulled Xander to her and kissed him hard on the lips. Around them, the Scoobies cheered their friends, smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. A successful relationship on the Hellmouth within the Scoobies was virtually unheard of. And Anya and Xander were the first successful ones.

"Well, well, well. Look who's the bride!" a voice yelled in the crowd of guests.

Anya stepped back and Xander flushed a bit at the peals of laughter that followed.

"I present to you, Mr. And Mrs. Alexander Harris." The priest said as the newlywed couple made their way down the aisle together, the rest of the Scoobies following. The guests followed after. The reception was on its way.

Xander and Anya were officially Mr. And Mrs. Alexander Harris and it was time to celebrate it with them.

* * *

Anya had set the Scoobies, Spike, Katherine, Halfrek, and D'Hoffryn at the same table. To Katherine, she must've been insane when she decided to do so. For one, Halfrek was responsible for "A Day in the Summers' House With No Way Out." D'Hoffryn was a demon. Period. She and the Slayer were not fit to be in the same town at the exact same time and Spike was just downright uncomfortable.

The reception was beautiful. The decorations and everything were purely Anya and perfect. Katherine had a feeling that it had to do with Anya threatening everyone involved, but she could've been wrong.

A half-hour into the reception, Katherine excused herself to go stand on the balcony, watch the sun set and smoke a cigarette.

"I never saw him that happy."

Katherine turned and looked at Buffy. She blew out the smoke from her cigarette. "You b never /b saw him 'appy. Period."

"I-I know." Buffy looked back at where at where Spike and Dawn were playing catch-up. "He-he actually…I don't know how to say it but, he glows."

Katherine's face became wistful. "Effulgent…"

"What?" Buffy turned to the demi-god.

"Nothing." Katherine refocused on the Slayer.

"You didn't come here to talk about how Spike b glows /b . What do you really want?" She put the cigarette out.

"Why do I have to want something?"

"'Cause we're not friends."

_"You're not friends. You'll **never** be friends."_

Buffy looked up at Katherine. Then back at the where she heard Spike laugh. "I've never heard that before. Well, not a lot at least."

"What?" Katherine said, looking at the Slayer in confusion.

"Spike laughed. I haven't heard that a lot."

Katherine's eye brightened. "Don't tell me y'came here to-"

"Ask you to give Spike up? No." Buffy sighed and wrung her hands. "You and Spike are-are together and it's not my place to interfere."

"Bloody right it isn't." Katherine agreed. She tilted her head. "You're in love wit' him."

"So are you." The Slayer shot back.

"Doesn't matter. I know it. He knows it. All your friends know it. **I'm** not afraid to admit it. Can you tell your friends without worrying what they'll think of you?"

Buffy sighed again and sat on the outside swing. Katherine sat next to her. Neither said anything for a long period of time.

"I jus' want 'im to be happy, know what I mean?" Katherine looked up at the setting sun. "If don't care if he's with me of not. If **he's** happy, I'm happy."

"I think-no. I mean, I **know** I don't want to hurt him again. I mean, I look back on what happened between me and Spike-"

"Spike and I. Not me and Spike. Spike and I." Katherine interrupted.

"Between **Spike and I** and I can't help thinking, 'did I really do that? A-and that?' And I know that it's not really me. And I don't want to give off the impression that it is. Me. And I've seen it. How you and Spike are together. And it's happy and nice and-"

"He doesn't love me." Katherine said softly.

"Maybe he hasn't said it yet." Buffy was surprised at her comment. Giving away the one she loved had not been on her "to do" list. Ever.

"I don't think it's the 'I can't live without you' way."

"I'm pretty sure he can't." Buffy said.

"Maybe. Sometimes you can only hope."

"Is this a conversation?"

"_Are we having a conversation?"_

"_What? No! No." She paused. "Maybe."_

"No. It's a treaty. A truce. I don't want to ever hurt Will, so what makes him happy, make me the same." Katherine replied, standing and looking at Buffy.

Buffy stood. "And I don't want to ever hurt him again."

Katherine held out her hand and Buffy took it, sealing the deal.

Buffy turned back and looked at Dawn. "You got advice on teenagers? 'Cause I'm a dope there."

"I saw. Not lying there. The thing about Dawn is that you're overprotective, overly commanding. And you don't let her do anything. Half the time none o'you listen to her. The other half, you all put her down. So, she doesn't even try to talk to you all. Example, the stealing and the wish she made." The demi-god started for the door. "She's not goin' to turn into a perfect carbon-copy from a fifties' TV show, Buffy. Don't hope for it."

"Katherine, " Buffy's voice stopped the other blonde, "this may sound stupid, but do you learn from your mistakes?"

Katherine smiled and turned back. "If I learned from my mistakes, then I wouldn't be a step down from a real god, would I?"

* * *

She left Buffy standing there, contemplating her words.

Katherine stood at her seat, drink in hand and smiled brightly at the other guests. "I've known Anya so long that it seems like seven hundred years." Some of the Scoobies started laughing at the comment, unable to hold it in. "I knew her from b way /b before she met Xander. And I can say that he's one of the best things that ever happened to her. And, I haven't known Xander that long. But it was like that day I met him, I could see his entire life." Dawn started laughing again until Buffy nudged her. "And I can tell he'll be good for Anya. Because one-he's scared of Anya, two-he's scared of me, and three-they love each other. With that said, I see one kid and two grands. Good luck, Mr. And Mrs. Harris."

Katherine sat down as everyone drank. She watched with everyone else as Anya and Xander shared the first piece of cake. And she smiled as they shared their first dance in wedlock. Anya and Xander moved across the floor, the former grinning all the while.

Halfrek sat up. "Someone wants vengeance. Not a child…but regarding one…oh…"

"Halfrek, do you not remember Anyanka's rules?" D'Hoffryn interjected.

"I know. 'No vengeance during the wedding or reception'." Halfrek answered. "But, really, the woman only wants to make her daughter heterosexual." She looked at the other seven at the table. "What's so wrong with that?"

Willow looked a little nervous, what with her mother being in attendance.

"And on that note, Will and I are gonna dance." Katherine said once a new song started. Willow and Tara quickly followed suit.

Buffy and Dawn shook their heads, turning to watch the couples dance as the two demons talked. The Slayer's heart constricted as she watched Spike and Katherine dance. They looked so good together. Like they fit.

She didn't understand why it hurt so much, but she bet it had to do with feeling for Spike. In the vicinity of her own mind, and to Katherine obviously, she could admit that she loved Spike and was jealous that Katherine had him, even if it made him happy. She wanted him to be hers.

But, the logical part of her…the part that told her and knew that her heart was being stupid…the part that messed things up for her heart. It said, "He's Spike. There's no way you feel this way for him. Deny it with a passion. Let him be with Katherine, who makes him happy. And maybe he'll love her back and move on."

Then again, neither her heart, nor her logic wanted him to move on. And to say that confused the hell out of her was a serious understatement.

Katherine had her head on Spike's shoulder as they danced. She had something she wanted to ask him. She wondered if he'd go for it.

_William._

_Kat-_

_What's wrong?_

_Nothing's wrong._ Spike insisted. _I hate weddings._

_About that…thanks for coming with me. In reward we're taking a road trip. I'm talking around the world._

The idea of being away from the Hellmouth for weeks brightened Spike. _You're serious?_

_Totally. How about we leave Monday?_

He nodded and they continued to dance. _As long as he's happy, I'm the same.

* * *

_

Under Katherine's intense insistence, Spike asked Buffy if she would like a dance. Katherine watched, hiding her smile from the look on Buffy's face when Spike stood and held his hand out to Buffy, saying, "A dance, milady?"

Tara, Dawn and Willow also watched the smile that broke out on Buffy's face with knowing smiles of their own. Buffy was in love.

Buffy let herself be lead onto the dance floor. They moved slowly to the beat and, to Spike, she seemed to fit with him just as well as Katherine. Which didn't help him at all. Not with all these feelings running through him. For two different girls. He was surprised he knew what was up and what was down.

_Oh, God. This just feels so **right**_. Buffy kept thinking as they moved. She moved into Spike's eyes, smiling slightly. _Why didn't I notice how blue they were before?_

Buffy wrapped her arms around Spike and he unconsciously pulled her closer. She had to try not to sigh in contentment.

Katherine watched them from her new position at the bar, on her fourth martini. She knew she was asking for trouble. Buffy was finally letting herself feel and gradually realizing how much she actually loved Spike. And she told him to dance with her. "Stupid."

They didn't notice as they danced to two more songs before Buffy reluctantly allowed Spike to take her back to her seat. Then he sat next to Katherine at the bar. He grabbed her wrist as she got ready to drink her next martini.

"How many?"

"This is _seite_. I'll let you drink your whiskey if you let me have my martini." Katherine said.

Spike let her go and she smiled smugly before picking up the drink as Spike ordered a shot of whiskey. Both blondes tuned out the teary-eyed speech Willow was then giving and then disgustingly cute "aww"s coming from the guests. It was way too fluffy for their tastes.

Katherine downed her ninth martini and looked at spike. "Wanna leave?"

"You couldn't have asked sooner." He answered.

They made their way to Xander and Anya's table as Willow finished her speech, "…And I just want to wish you a happy life together and thank you for sharing your special day with me. Us. Everyone. Good luck, Xander and Anya." She sat down as people wiped tears from their eyes and applauded.

Katherine grabbed her purse and waved to the Scoobies at the table. She and Halfrek did the snobby air-kiss, before the blonde couple made their way to the table the bride and groomed occupied.

"Katherine and Spike." Anya smiled brightly. "I'm married."

"I noticed." Katherine returned the smile. "Will an' I are gonna push off. Things to do…"

"Or people." Anya added to Xander's embarrassment. "When we go on our honeymoon, I'd appreciate it much if you'd watch the Magic Box for me." Katherine nodded as Anya took out the keys to the shop.

_And she carries her work keys to her wedding because…?_

Katherine kept her laugh to herself as she took them from Anya.

"And I hope your gift was very expensive."

"It'll be worth a lot to you, I hope." The demi-god said, mysteriously.

"Good. Bye Katherine, and Spike."

"Harris. Anya." Spike said, Xander nodding in response.

"Bye, Anya. Bye, Xander." Katherine and Spike then left the reception, glad to say the day was over.

* * *

A/N: I think I'll say in advance, that I'm not bashing; I'm bringing an epiphany. Oh, and another thing: Katherine likes to be right and Buffy sensed that so she went along with it. 


	6. In Your Hands

**A/N: For the cemetery part, I'd advise imagine what Dawn did with Amanda in Potential. Same theme here.**

**Chapter Six: In Your Hands /b **

Halfrek cut the social manners once Katherine was gone. "Well, I must say, the reception was lovely, but I ought to be off. Do vengeance for kids. You know." Everyone at the table stared at her. "…I'll just tell Anyanka 'bye'." The vengeance demon stood and left the table.

D'Hoffryn then left the table without so much a look in their direction. He and Halfrek shared words with Anya before they both left.

"Rude much?" Buffy commented. The other three nodded.

"I saw you." Dawn turned to her sister, smiling.

"Saw me what?" Buffy was confused as to what to her sister was talking about.

"You were having the time of your life with Spike on the dance floor." Willow answered with a smile of her own.

"I wasn't having the-" Buffy stopped when Tara, Willow and Dawn looked at her. "time of my life. Spike and I are friends."

"You've done 'it'. With each other." Dawn countered.

Buffy decided that she didn't want to know how Dawn found out. "Very close friends." Buffy said. "Can we get off the topic now, please?"

"Sure, Buffy. You can tell us when you're ready." Tara said comfortingly.

"It's what she does anyway." Dawn said.

Buffy was about to reply when Dawn stood. "Oh there's that guy I met, well not guy, but-it doesn't matter. TTYL." She walked away.

_Katherine, easier said than done._

* * *

For whatever reason that only the Powers knew of, Anya left Katherine in charge of the shop. Katherine herself didn't know why, but had a feeling it had more to do with knowing Anya longer, and/or being more experienced in magic than Willow or Tara. Not that she was much powerful then them. Just a longer practitioner. But Katherine would be going away in a day, so she'd have to leave the store in Willow's just as capable hands, if it was okay with the redhead.

Katherine looked in the mirror to make sure her clothes were fine. She wore a blue-gray peasant top with a black tank top under it and a plain pair of black jeans.

Anya had told her to dress presentable and use all her assets to make money. How did Anya tell her? While on her way to the airport. She'd called the blonde and told her that and other things like, "read minds, lie and over price."

"Kat, get a move on! You're hogging the bathroom!" Spike yelled, banging on the door.

Katherine opened it and Spike fell forward. She smiled innocently. As if it were even possible. "There ya go, Will." She moved past him but he grabbed her and pulled her back.

"I have to open the store." Spike didn't let go, raising an eyebrow as if to ask why he'd care. "If you make me late and Anya finds out, I'll tell her you were distractin' me and she'll get one of her many demonic friends to castrate you."

Spike immediately let go of her. "You know how to get rid of a guy, don't you?"

Katherine smiled. "I'll see you later at the shop, right? I can take a break, we can hang out, come back here…or just walk around town." Katherine changed the direction of her sentence, thinking that it might bother Buffy. And then she had to ask herself why the hell she cared what Buffy thought. She wanted it to bother Buffy. That was her new purpose in life. And somehow, despite what she'd told herself, she didn't want to hurt the Slayer.

Spike raised an eyebrow and looked at her. He was surprised she didn't go off on the tangent she normally did. He'd have to ask her what she and Buffy talked about and if that had anything to do with her change in attitude. He decided to think on it later, kissing Katherine on the mouth chastely and saying, "I'll be there."

"Good." Katherine's smile was strained as thoughts ran through her mind of what was with them falling into Victorian England manners. Lack of a conversation about sex, chaste kisses and she'd swear she'd just met him again.

She left the bathroom and the door closed behind her. The shower started and she grabbed her jacket, house keys and the shop keys, and then left the house.

_Despite whatever the hell just happened, today is going to be a good day,_ she vowed.

* * *

At noon, Jonathan came by the shop to thank Katherine for sparing his life. She told him that she did it for The Powers That Be. He told her that if she or anyone else needed help, he was available. As he left the shop, Katherine told him she'd hold him to it.

A half hour later, Willow and Tara came by and they helped Katherine with the customers. Spike showed fifteen minutes later and Katherine asked the two fellow witches to watch the store for a while. With their okays, she and Spike left…

Only to be doing her second idea, walking through the town. She could admit she was enjoying the walk through town with him. She'd never thought walking through a stupid town could be this fun, but then she guessed that it was because Spike was so thoroughly enjoying it.

Spike had seen the town in the day once. But at the time, he'd been busy trying to kill Buffy so it was only means to an end. He wouldn't say he missed it, because he missed it almost as much as he missed Angelus or his life before Drusilla. He…appreciated it. A lot.

"I think seeing the world again will be fun, don't you?"

Spike shrugged, more interested in what Buffy was doing. He hadn't really talked to her at the wedding and she seemed kind of subdued after talking to Katherine. It just brought him back to wonder what they talked about. And it was like she knew neither of the two would tell him, either. "I guess. Won't be the same though."

"Yep. Without Dru and Stace, it's kinda…private, intimate." Katherine looked at Spike out of the corner of her eye.

Spike didn't look back at her, smirking as he said, "And who needs that when you can have fun?"

Katherine looked at Spike and nodded slowly, wondering when he got so clueless about her. "Yeah." She forced a smile on her face, trying not to dwell on it. "Who needs that?"

* * *

Willow smiled to a customer as he left. "Have a nice day and thank you for shopping at the Magic Box."

Tara smiled at the redhead from behind the counter. "So, shouldn't Katherine be back by now?"

"Did you see how those two left?" Willow asked as the door opened and Buffy and Dawn entered.

"How who two left?" Dawn asked.

"Spike and Katherine." Tara came from behind the counter to stand by her girlfriend.

"Three hours **is** a long time." Willow added. She and Tara shared and amused look, blushing slightly.

"So…they took a sex break?" Dawn asked sitting at the reading table.

"Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed. Inside, she felt sick. Mental pictures of Katherine and Spike sped through her mind and she blanched. Ew.

"Oh, c'mon. With Anya around, be surprised I **just** started with the inappropriate comments." Dawn said, shrugging. "Anyway, I think it's cute that after maybe centuries of friendship, they can be so…into each other."

"Yeah. Cute." Buffy said bitterly. "It's just so 'cute' how they're on each other practically twenty-four/seven." She grumbled to herself.

Dawn raised an eyebrow and decided to let it go. Let Buffy stay bitter about not going after what she wanted. Not even realizing that her sister and two friends already knew. That Anya didn't care one way or the other and that Xander and everyone else would have to get over it. _God, I wish she'd just tell Spike. Katherine'd…learn to understand, my sister and friend would be happy. Everything would be okay for a long while._

Spike and Katherine entered the shop, laughing and happy. Buffy inwardly groaned, their happiness like a punch in the stomach. She turned to look anywhere that was away from them.

"Sorry, guys. Got a little caught up." Katherine apologized to the two witches. The more time she spent with Spike, the more she was thinking about what she was doing here. Why she was there and if this was the way things should be…_ Stop second-guessing things or you'll become nervous. _

_In what? _Buffy thought bitterly as she sat down next to Dawn.

_Actually, we just walked around town._ Katherine half-smiled at the Slayer when she looked up sharply.

"I don't need you to tell me that." Buffy whispered.

_Really? From your thought, you naturally implied sex. I love him; I'm not half-witted or blind. Don't insult me._

"Sorry…I guess." Buffy said.

Katherine nodded. _Same here, I guess._

The demi-god turned to Willow. "Red-um, Willow, I need you t'do a favor and watch the shop for at least a week and a half."

"Why?" Willow asked curiously.

"Oh. A vacation. For Will and I. Australia… France… Italy…. Germany… Mexico…" Katherine trailed off as she thought of the fun she had last time she went to any of those places. She then refocused on the redhead. "You and Tara **can** watch it, right? I don't want to force you if you can't-"

Tara nodded. "Of course. Go. Have fun. See things."

"Oh! Will there be souvenirs?" Dawn jumped in.

"Sure, Bit." Spike answered, watching Buffy look uncomfortable.

Katherine nodded in agreement. "One for every city."

_Great_, Buffy thought. _Now she's spoiling my sister._

"Of course, " Katherine paused, "We're leaving tomorrow at sunset, so I can watch the shop tomorrow. Road tripping is better at night."

"Yeah, okay." Willow took Tara's hand and looked at Buffy. "Um, Buffy, want to go to the Bronze?"

The Slayer nodded, desperately wanting to get out of Katherine's pitying company. "Bronze." She turned to Dawn.

Before she could say anything, the teenager said, "It's okay. I'll just hang with Kat and Spike." Buffy looked at her. "I'm fine. Go."

Spike watched Buffy the entire time, trying to come up with reasons for her behavior and then gave up as Buffy left with Tara and Willow.

Dawn smiled at the two blondes she was to hang out with. "Wanna patrol?"

* * *

"They're going on a vacation. Is that like a serious couple thing to do, or is it something weird between them? Because, I've had two boyfriends and we've never gone on vacations to other countries. Hell, I've never even been outside of California." Buffy ranted as they entered the Bronze.

"Buffy, we came here to loosen up." Willow said to her friend.

"So…?"

"You're ranting about Spike and Katherine instead. You're jealous, I-I get that, but could we hold talking about 'til later? Y'know, keep it to yourself?"

Willow didn't mean to sound insensitive, but Buffy hadn't been all that "let's eat junk and hate boys all night" when Oz left. She decided to make it up to the blonde later. With cookies and ice cream and chick flicks.

"I-I'm not jealous. It, it just makes no sense!" Buffy continued. Willow raised an eyebrow and Tara smiled and she knew they weren't buying it. She wasn't ready for a confrontation about it either. "But, I'll…keep it to myself for now." She said as they sat at the usual table.

The table where she first saw Spike with Katherine.

"I'm all for keeping it to myself."

* * *

"_There is something that is much more scarce, something finer far, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability."_

_-Elber Green Hubbard_

_

* * *

_

"So, " Dawn started as they walked through one of the many cemeteries in town, "A vacation?"

"I've been here five days and I already need one. Poor Will's been here for three years." Katherine answered, keeping an eye out for any vampires or demons.

Sure enough there were some. A vampire was hefting itself out of a grave as three vampires stood, waiting for him. One looked up. "Well, what do we have here? Dinner for our friend."

"Pssht. Yeah right. I can **so** kick your ass." Dawn stated.

"Dawn…" Spike said warningly. "Don't patronize the hungry vampire."

"Why-" Dawn watched three additional vampires join the four already there. "Not." She smiled nervously. "Oh, well. I was just playing. You can fight my friends, though. They have no problem with that."

"Dawn, I swear…" Katherine grumbled.

The leader moved towards Dawn and the teenager stepped back into Katherine. "Well, I think I'd rather be fighting you."

Spike was instantly taken back to when he was trying to cure Drusilla and there were two Slayers. He'd told Buffy that he'd rather be fighting her. And he knew he'd always pick her.

_Then why are you with Katherine? _

Spike had to ask himself if it was because he wanted to, or to hurt Buffy.

Granted, not everything he did involved Buffy. He liked Katherine as a friend and…maybe a little as whatever the hell they were now. But, Buffy still held him, and this really evil part of him liked that him with Katherine hurt her, bothered her and made her jealous.

_Dawn? Are you scared?_ Katherine asked silently.

"Terrified." Dawn whispered.

_Don't let them know. You're growing up to be an adult, right? Almost seventeen? Act like it. Use your instincts._

The demi god took a breath before slightly pushing Dawn forward to fight…and away from stepping on her foot. Dawn shrieked as she caught her balance just before bumping into the vampire.

Spike and Katherine had jumped into action, attacking the vampires quickly, so to be able to help Dawn if she needed it.

Dawn stood in a nervous fighting stance, waiting for the vampire to attack her. He came at her and ducked out of the way, a bit more positive as the vampire turned back towards her. "Instinct. Katherine said instinct."

Taking Katherine's advice as her only lifeline, she ducked a fist and lashed out, hitting the vampire across the cheek and barely feeling the contact.

"You know what's better than instinct? Women's intuition." She kicked the vampire between the legs and he doubled over.

She then elbowed him in the back, reaching for the stake in the waistband of her jeans. Another vampire grabbed her and spun her to face him. She brought her knee up to his gut, backing away.

Spike slammed to vampires together, skulls cracking, before staking them. Katherine kicked her vampire in the face twice, staking it. She ran over to Spike to stop him from helping Dawn. "Don't."

"Why the bloody hell not?"

"There's more to her than you know, Will." She felt bad about throwing Dawn into danger, but she had to. So that she could learn that she didn't need to be so mollycoddled. And if your life wasn't at risk at least once in your life, you haven't lived or fought for anything.

Dawn snapped a branch off a nearby tree. She blocked a punch easily, arcing her right hand to stake the vampire.

She noticed Spike and Katherine watching as she faced the last vampire. It went quickly. He charged at her, ready to take her out when she kicked him in the gut, followed by and uppercut punch in the face and a second punch to the face. Finished by staking him in the heart.

Dawn took a deep breath before racing over to the two blonde immortals. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah. Did okay there, Niblet."

Dawn smiled at Spike, turning to Katherine. "I can't believe you pushed me into him!"

_No one knows what she can or can't do, because everyone wants to protect her all the time. But she doesn't need it that much._

"Well, I had to. You were stepping on my shoe." Katherine said as they began to walk away.

_I'm going to tell Buffy._ Katherine said decisively._ Let her do with it what she wants._

_Huh. I was almost sure you'd do it yourself._

Katherine smiled. _I'll admit, I felt like that at first, but that's Buffy's sister. Who Buffy's the guardian of. And I don't need her to think I'm trying to take her sister away from her. Think she's lost enough._

"I was not!" Dawn exclaimed.

"You were too. I bet I have dirt on my shoes."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're actually going to have a discussion about this."

"Only for you, Spike." Katherine said without thinking, stopping as she realized what she just said. She called him Spike. She'd done that exactly five times in his existence, and every time she was mad.

Spike had a similar look of disbelief on his face as Dawn, oblivious to their reactions, said, "Wow, you haven't said that your entire visit."

Katherine shook off the feeling of dread. _I'm actually glad, you know. Now they'll realize and know. She's not eleven years old anymore.

* * *

_

Buffy, Willow and Tara came home to find Spike, Dawn and Katherine playing Go Fish in the dining room. The two witches said goodnight and went upstairs, Dawn quickly following them.

"What?" Buffy asked when Katherine continued to look like she had something to say.

"Dawn's special." Katherine hinted.

Really straightforward, Katherine.

"I know. The Key." Buffy sat in the seat Dawn vacated, wishing Katherine would cut to the chase.

"No. Not that." Katherine sighed. "This isn't working. Will-"

"Bit's like a mini-you. With the strength and everything." Spike cut in just when Katherine was going to ask him to explain.

A mini-her? As in super human strength? Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Um, Katherine, how did you two find out?"

"Patrolling." Buffy opened her mouth to yell. "She was safe. She took out two vampires on her own. Plus…strength."

Buffy took a deep shuddering breath and let it out slowly, before laughing. She found it funny. Just days ago she and Katherine hated each other. Now they were apologizing and trying to explain things to each other. Now, she found out that, while she was protecting Dawn, she was really not letting her fight and realize her strength.

Katherine and Spike had expected a lot of things. Yelling, tears, the intense desire to kick them out and find Halfrek, but the laughing wasn't one of them. The laughing meant she was okay with it.

"Buffy, pet, are you okay?" Spike asked in a concerned voice.

Buffy stopped laughing and Katherine looked away to ignore the tense, UST, need-to-get-a-room now looks passing. She stood up suddenly. "So, we told you. Now we can mosey on home. Call it a night…" She snapped her fingers in front of their faces. "Hey, Hellmouth to Spike and Buffy… We were leaving!"

Buffy snapped out of it first and Spike soon followed. She nodded slowly. "Um, yeah. I'll talk to Dawn tomorrow. Tell her about the Slayer-like thing."

"Okay." Katherine headed for the door, not turning to wait for Spike to catch up with her. She needed to think for a minute. And it was starting to bother her. Having the need to think about the situation five times a day.

She took a deep breath and smiled, turning to face the door where Spike and Buffy were talking a bit. Probably about Dawn. She spoke and he laughed.

_See, you can make him laugh if you think about it._

Buffy looked at her as Spike walked away a small smile on her face. She stepped inside and closed the door.

Katherine was sinking. In six days, she'd gotten attached to people she wouldn't have paid mind to six years ago. The longer she stayed in Sunnydale, the more she lost her mind.

* * *

Monday, Katherine left the keys to the shop with Willow and went home to pack her bag for the trip. It was years since she last traveled with Spike and she was eager to do it again. Only thing missing was Stace and Drusilla. Maybe even Darla. But it'd be fun.

"How about we go see Angelus?" Katherine asked.

"Why would you want to do that? He's all soulful and even poofier now." Spike yelled from his own room.

"What if I made him think I was evil?" Katherine asked, already knowing the answer. Spike couldn't risk an opportunity to needle Angel.

Spike stuck his head in the door. "You evil-"

"Bitch?" Katherine asked sweetly.

Spike laughed. "Only if you promise to make it really believable. And especially fun for me."


	7. Two Devils And An Angel

**A/N: And so the crossover begins. What I'm pretty sure everyone wants comes in the next few chapters…**

**_Chapter Seven: Two Blonde Devils and An Angel_**

"Will, do you have a really long minute?" Buffy asked as she entered the shop. She'd left Dawn in the back, practicing on the punching bag.

She had to get what happened between her and Spike off her chest. Every detail…well, not every detail. But, maybe more than just the fact that it happened. Many times. And that she…missed it. Well, not the violence factor. That, she could do without. But the her-and-Spike factor. Them. Together.

Willow looked up from the book on magic Katherine had given her. "Sure, Buffy." She put it down, "What's on your mind?"

"The me-Spike-sex thing." Buffy sat across from the redhead at the reading table, gauging her friend's face for her reaction.

"The-oh. Oh! You want to talk about that?"

The Slayer nodded. "Um, yeah…why not?"

"I just…well, I thought that it might be something you didn't want to talk about. Ever."

"It's…it's not. Think Xander's wiping it from his memory. That it happened. Many, many…" Buffy grinned, catching the look on Willow's face.

"I think Buffy liked." Willow teased good-naturedly.

"Buffy did like." The Slayer confirmed. Willow raised an eyebrow in amusement. "A lot." A smile broke out on the redhead's face. "The thing is-"

"You want to know if you should love him?" Willow guessed correctly.

Buffy nodded and Willow sighed.

"Buffy, I can't make the decision for you. There's this crazy thing where it has to be your decision. If you love Spike, it's got to be because you find something worthwhile in him, not because I say, 'Yes, Buffy. You should love Spike.'"

"I-I need something."

"How about a list?"

"What?"

"A list. A very uncomplicated thing you can do to see what you like about him."

Buffy nodded, watching Willow reach into her bag and pull out a pen and paper. The Slayer took it and sat for several moments.

What did she like about him? She liked…his smile. It was cute and charming and it made her feel warm inside, because he didn't do it a lot. But when he did…it made her feel like she did yesterday night. Hopelessly in love. And it wasn't a bad feeling.

Willow smiled, seeing her answer and picked up her book to give her friend privacy. She'd just look later.

What else could she write? Perceptiveness. He seemed to be able to see her. Not just the slayer. Not just the girl. But the bigger picture. The fact that they both made her who she was. She'd never be like she was in high school ever again. And he knew this. Probably appreciated it.

His eyes. They were the windows to his soul. Even if he lacked one at the moment. If you looked hard enough, paid enough attention, it was easy to tell what he was thinking and how he felt. Buffy hadn't actually looked until the wedding.

She continued writing and Willow peeked over the top of her book, smiling as the pro column out shadowed the cons. Simple things like his smoking, drinking or watching an unhealthy amount of Passions claimed the list and Willow knew her friend was in love.

"Done." Buffy said, nearly an hour later. Willow looked up from her book and Tara came from behind the counter.

The redhead took the sheet of paper as Tara came to sit next to her girlfriend and Buffy shifted nervously.

Dawn came from the back room then, looking more energized than usual.

"What's up?" She asked, interested in the paper and sitting down next to Buffy.

"I made a list." Buffy answered, watching the two witches smile as they read it.

"List? For what?"

"What Buffy likes about Spike." Willow said, holding up the sheet of paper so that the teenager could clearly see the list.

"Well, I'm no expert, but I think you're in love with Spike." Dawn said, Willow and Tara nodding in agreement.

Buffy gave a small smile. "I know."

"In that case, I hope you can tell him." Tara said, smiling back. Just weeks ago they'd had a conversation where the blonde witch had told the slayer that it was okay to love him and now she was admitting it.

"I will." Buffy said, standing up. "Just…maybe when they come back."

Willow smiled at Buffy, nodding encouragingly. "Do that."

"I will."

* * *

An hour later, Spike and Katherine were finally packed.

The demi-god was fairly unnerved, though she hid it well. Spike and Buffy had this…this **thing** between them. Something that not even more than a century of friendship could reach. And then, there was that stupid vision that wouldn't go away no matter how much she wanted it to.

_Don't think about it. Just pack, road trip and have a good time with Spike._

And why did she continuously call him that? Spike. He was Will. Or William to her, damn it. She hadn't called him Spike since eighteen eighty-two, why did she have to start now?

She yanked the duffel bag off her bed. "No need to get my knickers in a twist over it. It's irrelevant at the moment."

Spike was waiting for her in the living room with his own bag. He had his traditional outfit, red shirt included for Angel's benefit. Katherine had also dressed for the occasion, wearing all black, with a black shirt belonging to Spike and a red top under.

"This ought to be fun." Katherine said as they left the penthouse. She locked the door behind them and they boarded the elevator. "So, we're going via the nice motorcycle you've got?"

"Being you've never thought of buying a car, yeah."

"Yeah, it's a pisser. Sue me." Katherine said as they left the building, following him to the parked motorcycle.

* * *

The entire Angel Investigations team, now including the addition of a Texan named Winifred Burkle, was in the lobby, doing various things.

Angel and Gunn were cleaning weapons after handling one of Cordelia's visions. The seer herself sat on the lounge in the center of the room, flipping through a magazine. Fred sat beside her; hurriedly writing on a notepad and Wesley seemed to be filing the case just solved.

They were all disturbed when the doors flew open, hitting the walls with a crack. All five turned to look at the devious newcomers.

Cordelia was the first to react about the bleached blonde, standing and saying, "Great, Spike's back with a new-"

Her insult for the female on his arm was at the tip of her tongue when she suddenly flew back into Gunn, taking them both to the floor.

"Not nice to insult your elders." Katherine said. Yes, it was wrong, but she couldn't help it. Needling Angel could be mean, wrong and disgraceful, but it was something to do.

"Angelus," she grinned, trying to play at least a little dim to his souled status. Not that it was possible, after talking to Stace, Darla and Drusilla.

"Katherine." Angel said stiffly as Gunn and Cordelia rose to their feet.

"You know, they told me you were all soul having, but I can't believe they were right. I mean, you don't even call me Kat anymore." She sighed. It was the truth, though. The entire time she'd known Angelus, he'd called her Kat. Like she called Spike Will.

"You used to call me Kat. What happened, dear old friend?"

Angel gave Katherine a look. "Katherine, we're not friends."

Katherine raised an eyebrow and scoffed. With the memories of seventeen fifty-three and after, that was a big pile of steaming crap.

"I beg to differ. Soul or not, I've known you since you were a fledgling." Katherine walked until she was toe-to-toe with the souled vampire.

Spike stayed behind, lounging by the door. He'd have jumped in, but it was more fun to watch Katherine when she was in one of her moods to mess with Angel. He could already tell it was going to be a fun week.

Katherine took in the thoughts she could hear running through Angel's head. Not only was she hurt, but also really angry that he could be stupid enough to think that. And she went so far as to tell him that.

"You are such an asshole!" She accused, continuing, "How can you think that just 'cause you had a soul, I'd turn you in to the Master or something?" She followed her explanation by cuffing him over the back of the head, telling herself that maybe she should calm down.

The others were confused. Who was this blonde that seemed to know Angel so well? Was she a vampire? Or something else entirely?

Katherine turned to the others. "Um, Cordelia? Sorry about the…tossing. I'm not actually evil…per se. I work for the Powers That Be, if that helps."

"And Spike?" Angel spared the bleached blonde a glance. Spike smirked, causing Angel to narrow his eyes.

Katherine frowned. "Two words." She pushed her hair out her face. "With. Me. I see a stake, cross, crossbow, or vial of holy water and I won't be joking around anymore." Her voice became dangerously low, ensuring that she meant every word she'd said in her warning.

"Fine, Katherine. Why are you, and Spike, here?" Angel asked, focusing on the petite blonde in front of him.

He hadn't seen her in a while and he did wonder where he'd gotten the notion that he couldn't trust her. But, she was hanging with Spike. And, yeah, he knew Katherine well enough to know she was only evil when provoked. Angelus knew Katherine well enough for that. And he knew how she felt about Spike. Why, was beyond him, but it was there and very much real.

"Because," Katherine grinned at him and he instantly had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer. And, of course, he was right.

"You're going to let us stay here."

* * *

"Which vampire?" The brunette female asked, raising her crossbow to aim. She switched back and forth between the two potential targets, waiting for her cue.

She didn't want to do this. But, she'd had a choice to make. And she'd chosen what mattered most to her, because that's what survivors did. Made sure that they came out on top.

"Angel, or Spike?"

"Spike." The male, her superior, said, also watching from their position in the upstairs hall. "Distract her first."

She shrugged and took fire. "A demi-god." Faith grinned. "Wicked cool."

* * *

A small whistling noise barely stood out to Katherine as she grinned at Angel. She shoved him off his feet and was by Spike in seconds, pulling him over the back of the counter as two arrows embedded themselves where the vampires had been seconds before.

"Do you bring trouble everywhere you go, Kat?" Angel called out from his place behind the lounge with Gunn. Wesley was behind the counter with Katherine and Spike and he was trying to think of a way to get to Cordelia and Fred, who were trying to get to him.

"Not usually." She paused, "Hey, you called me Kat!"

_Not exactly an important topic at the moment, Katherine._ Spike said and she rolled her eyes.

She then flipped over the counter, racing to help Cordelia and Fred out of the way of the darts, seeing as how Angel, Wesley and Gunn were already hidden.

Spike peeked over the counter, searching for where the arrows were coming from. He stood to his full height, spotting two figures, one shooting and the other just watching. "Kat-"

The three females fell, rolling by Angel and Gunn. They were hidden by the lounge, just as Spike yelled in pain.

Katherine flew to her feet, getting the mental warning, if not the verbal. She looked up, her eyes settling on the hall upstairs.

The team watched as her hair and eyes faded to lavender. Her entire demeanor changed as she raced up the banister of the stairs.

It was then that they noticed the shadows running through the hall upstairs. The first figure, the female shooter, disappeared just as they caught sight of the slower male sans weapon.

Katherine was on him in second. With a hard right to the jaw, he was rolling down the stairs to land at Angel's feet. She walked down the stairs slowly, as Angel pulled the man to his feet.

"Who do you work for?" the soul-having vampire asked, though he was fairly sure he knew the answer to that question.

"I'll die first." The man responded.

Katherine knew in her subconscious that she had to check on Spike. That she couldn't do this again, but her conscious told her to deal with the reason she needed to check on Spike. The one who attacked them. "That can be arranged, y'know."

Her dagger appeared in her hand and she privately dared anyone to stop her. "I've got no problem killing you. I did two in for people I barely knew for a week. What do you think I'd do for my family?"

Family. Was that all Spike was now? Family? She hated this beyond belief. And the jerk in front of her and Angel helped none.

"You don't have the guts." The man sneered. Logically, he knew it was stupid to provoke the demi-god. A truly immortal being. But he couldn't, wouldn't, let himself be intimidated by a female.

Katherine gave an evil smirk. "Don't be so sure of that."

"Kath-" Angel started, having an idea of where this was going. You didn't know someone for nearly three hundred years and then forget his or her habits. Like the irrational impulses for violence against anyone who hurt her "family".

"Angel, check on Spike for me." Katherine interrupted, beyond negotiation. She didn't like anything about this. The attack.

Before Angel could make a move, Fred hurried to the counter before anyone could stop her. Katherine had saved her life. Katherine also liked Spike. Therefore, Fred felt obligated to help.

"Tell me," The lavender haired woman raised a thumb and began to put pressure on his eye. "Who…" she ignored his struggling as she pressed, "Do. You. Work. For."

"Wolfram and Hart."

Katherine pulled back, smiling, but her grin was not encouraging. "Now we're getting somewhere." She grabbed him by the throat, leaning to his ear. "What. Did. You. Do."

"Spike?" Fred nudged the vampire and frowned when he didn't answer. She shook him softly. "Spike?"

Yes, she knew she probably shouldn't have run over, regardless of what Katherine did. But, if the blonde was a friend of Angel and Spike's, she figured the bleached blonde was okay.

"There's…poison on the arrows."

Fred looked up as Wesley kneeled next to her. "Does poison work on vampires?"

"Certain ones, of the supernatural nature."

"What poison?" Katherine tightened her grip on his throat as he choked, keeping her fear to herself even as Angel placed a hand on her arm.

"Killer of the dead."

Angel wasn't the only on that had bad experiences with the poison. Back before Darla's continuation of the line, slayers were more interested in just killing and not technique. They felt the best way would be to shoot every vampire they came across, poison them and leave them to die.

For her, the sixteenth and seventeenth century had mostly been about saving vampires. The balance was important. Always.

She tightened her grip. "What?" She knew it then. She was going to kill him. She was going to kill that girl. She was going to kill every lawyer in Wolfram and Hart and she wouldn't look back.

"Killer of the dead." The man repeated, in pain.

"Who was the girl?"

"A chick named Faith."

There was something to be appreciated about humans these days. They'd save their own hides first and not worry about anyone else's.

"Thank you." Without a second thought she snapped his neck. The body fell the floor with a horrifying thud to the humans and Angel. It disappeared and Katherine monotonously said, "Special delivery for Lilah Morgan."

Fred and Wesley were slowly helping Spike stand. "Katherine?" the Texan questioned, unsure.

Katherine turned. "Spike." She took the bleached blonde from the two, worried about the arrow as she carried him towards the stairs. "Now's the time for a room, Angel."

Angel followed her up the stairs, picking the closest unoccupied room. Katherine followed him inside, laying Spike on the bed as the vampire passed out from her yanking the arrow out.

She winced, taking off his jacket, shirt and boots. She then picked up the arrow and began to play with it, terribly wishing she'd skipped L.A.

Angel couldn't exactly sympathize with Spike, what with the memory of hot pokers but he felt for Katherine. And he expressed that, touching her shoulder in a calming way. "Katherine, you'll cure him."

Katherine scoffed and turned to look at Spike. "It's the Killer of the Dead. It's not like Buffy can do it, she's all the way in Sunnydale and-" she stood up, turning to look at Angel with hard lavender eyes, tears done.

As the thought came to mind, she broke the deadly arrow into pieces, and evil smirk claming her face. A cold glint twinkled in her eye. "And there's always Faith, who just made a dangerous mistake."

* * *

Buffy felt unbelievably refreshed. Willow knew, Dawn knew and Tara knew. She'd tell Xander when he came back and then she'd tell Spike. She still couldn't believe it. She loved Spike. And all it took was someone who hated her to make her realize it.

She was so caught up in her thought; she barely dodged out of the way of a tackle from a female vampire. She threw a right, then a left, both ducked by the slayer.

Buffy kicked her in the gut and the face, followed by a punch in the nose. The she-vamp blocked the second punch and wasn't slowed in the least by the bleeding.

She grabbed Buffy's wrist and yanked her arm before kicking the slayer in the gut.

Buffy fell to her knees. She had a feeling that she'd fought someone with this style before. Actually two some ones. "Okay, not a regular vampire," she muttered to herself, rolling out of the way of a sword.

"Wait-a sword? Where did you get a sword?!"

The vampire smiled a bit, leaping in the air and kicking Buffy in the chin. The blonde flew into a tree trunk and the vampire moved closer.

Buffy took this time to notice the vampire's look and attire.

Long dark hair.

Bright blue eyes.

Voluptuous figure.

Black leather outfit.

Dark makeup.

Cold body language.

She held a hand out to Buffy, slipping the sword back into her jacket. "I didn't come here to hurt you, even if it seems like that."

Buffy gave her a look that said the opposite, but took the offered hand anyway. "Okay. So, what did you come here for?"

"You know Katherine. Well, tell her that there are hard decisions coming. She'll know what I mean."

"So, what, you're a good vamp?" Buffy asked, eyebrows raised.

"My name's Stacy Lynn. That's all you really need to know. I'll be back." Without another word, Stacy Lynn ran and leapt onto the nearby crypt, disappearing into the night.

* * *

Faith hated this. That stupid thing she'd had to do. She pretended she was okay with it, but she knew she wasn't. That guy she'd left behind was probably dead.

She pushed open the door to Lilah Morgan's office. "Hey, Lilah. Your guy, Jack? Didn't make it."

Lilah looked up at her, just as Jack's body appeared, dropping on the desk she sat at. She raised an eyebrow at his body, head at an unnatural angle and staring sightlessly at the ceiling.

"You don't say…"

* * *

"Katherine!" Angel chased her out the room. "Katherine, listen to me! You can't kill Faith!" He followed her down the stairs.

The others looked up; getting the general idea of what Katherine was planning to do. The demi-god tucked a dagger into the waistband of her skirt and moved on.

"She started this. She dies. I end it. Simple logic, really." Katherine didn't care. Not at this moment. She couldn't afford to care. If she cared, she wouldn't go. If she didn't go, they'd wait for Buffy. And Spike might die. Which wasn't an option.

Angel grabbed her arm and Katherine spun around, landing a hard punch to his jaw. He flew back as the front doors flew open.

"Take care of him for me."

Katherine didn't turn around, leaving the doors to slowly close behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Dumdumdum...Will Katherine kill Faith? Will Spike be okay? Will Buffy get the chance to tell Spike how she feels?**

**Stay tuned to find out.**


	8. Revenge

**A/N: I was really trying to finish up the Katherine/Faith thing in one chapter. And here it is. It's not as long as usual, but hey.**

**_Chapter Eight: Revenge_**

Faith walked out into the parking lot. After Lilah had told the slayer that everything thing was even now and that her services were appreciated, Faith gave the lawyer the finger and walked out to the parking lot.

Personally, Faith had a survivor instinct, and faced with the lawyers threatening to kill her or do worse, she took their offer to be set free and do one job. Now that she was officially done with them, what she really wanted was to get out of this city. This state even, and just go away. Somewhere away from Angel, and Buffy, and demi-gods that would probably try to kill her-

She stopped as a cool breeze blew around her.

"You know, I hear it's not nice to try and kill a blonde's boyfriend. They have this tendency to stab you in the gut."

_Spoke too soon_, she thought involuntarily shivering from the magical wind blowing about.

Faith turned to face Katherine. "Yeah? Well, now I'm five by five. What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to kill you. Then, while your body's cooling, get you to Spike so that he can drain you dry."

Katherine had no empathy for the slayer. As far as the blonde was concerned, Faith had done something unforgivable. And she was going to pay for the mistake she'd made in hurting Spike.

"Want to test that theory?" Faith asked, tensing her body for a fight.

Katherine didn't answer, flying at the slayer, punching her three times in quick succession and following through with a kick to the brunette's gut.

_Damn, she hits hard_, Faith thought as she sailed through the air. This was a big mistake if Faith ever knew one. And looking back on the past four years, she knew mistakes.

Faith flew into the hood of the car. "You're serious." She hopped off the dented vehicle, stretching out her muscles and coming back at the demi-god. If she was going to die tonight, she'd die fighting. Fighting to the last breath Katherine had threatened her with.

"And you're not." Katherine blocked every punch Faith threw at her. She took an uppercut punch to the stomach and sent a roundhouse kick straight to Faith's chin.

Faith flew onto her back and Katherine couldn't help taunting her. "Buffy got more hits in."

Buffy. If Faith really thought about it, she didn't hate Buffy. Buffy had originally tried to help her and Faith threw her trust out the window, threw whatever bonding progress they'd made right along with it. She'd been so messed up; and still was a bit, if you really thought about it. Things had gotten out of control and it seemed better to be on the Mayor's side because, one, he was winning at the time, and two, he appeared to get her. Like her and want her around. Maybe that was her problem. Throwing out a vibe that she didn't need anyone.

Katherine grinned when Faith was up and flying at her. She tackled Katherine into a car, a dent now marring the expensive vehicle. The blonde tossed the slayer over her onto the roof and jumped to her feet, firmly planted on the hood. Faith got to her feet and punched Katherine in the jaw five times.

The blonde grinned again. She then lashed out again, kicking Faith in the gut. With the Slayer doubled over, she elbowed the brunette in the back and the human fell to her knees, rolling off the roof and onto the hood. The blonde kicked her in the ribs and she flew into the wall.

Faith groaned as she tumbled to her feet. She watched as her current enemy jumped off the hood of the car and stalked towards her. Katherine kicked her in the face and uppercut punched her in the jaw.

If Faith had to die today, the last thing she was going to do was make it easy for Katherine. Let Katherine take her down without a fight. She didn't like to lose. And especially not her life.

In a burst of pure desperation, Faith tackled Katherine around the waist and they flew to the ground. She hit the other female incessantly until Katherine threw her off.

The demi-god flipped to her feet and came at the slayer in a fury. She jumped in the air, sending a flying kick to the face and ending it in a back flip. She spun quickly, back-kicking Faith in the chest and the slayer flew back

Under the hard determination to help Spike, Katherine's mind ran rampant. Would she really have to kill Faith? Would Spike be okay until she got back? Would it be a possibility to just go and get Buffy, end this now? But the other part of her, the part riding on the surface wanted to tear Faith from limb to limb for attacking what she still considered her family. For being successful. And it was just so much easier to give in.

Faith struggled to her feet. "Shouldn't you be killing me?"

"Yeah." Katherine said. "Shouldn't you be on the path of redemption?"

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks. Thought you knew that." The brunette came at Katherine, punching her for all she was worth. She backed the eternal being towards a wall, her will to survive strangely overshadowing Katherine's strength and will to save Spike.

Katherine took each punch, the blows only barely registering. _You have to cure Spike_, she thought as the slayer landed a hard punch to her face that had Katherine stumbling back. _The vampire you love. That is dying. From a poison the girl kicking your ass administered._

Faith kicked Katherine in the gut and followed with a second to the face.

Katherine ducked the punch coming her way and delivered a sharp kick to Faith's chin. The slayer flew back on impact and Katherine reached for her.

Faith winced as she was yanked to her feet by her hair. Katherine punched her in the face and kicked her in the ribs and she fell to her knees.

This was getting old to Katherine and she was determined to find out what Faith had hidden under her bravado. She made the brunette look at her and a charge ran through her as she saw the future.

"_So this is for you, Faith. Even a century later, we still remember you. We'll always remember you."_

Katherine pulled back as she thought of what that meant before looking into Faith's eyes again.

"_You're up." Katherine said, entering the hospital room._

"_Are you here to kill me?" Faith asked suspiciously._

"_No. It's a different mission this time, Faith. One we're on the same side for. You up for it?"_

"_Got a car?"_

"_The coolest blue convertible ever."_

The blonde let Faith go and stepped back as her conscience began to war with her need for vengeance. She couldn't do this. She couldn't kill a slayer for Spike. The last thing she needed was-

_She held up her hand and a bullet appeared. She held it up for the human to see. "'S so tiny. Can't b'lieve this thing could kill the first few mortal friends I allowed myself to have. And you'd have killed them. For that," Katherine smiled slowly. "You die, bastard."_

Faith didn't move from her position on the floor, debating whether she should just give in. _Yeah, Faith, just give in. You'll just end up in a hospital again. In a coma. For nearly a year._

Faith stumbled to her feet while Katherine wasn't paying attention and tripped the demi-god. "Not goin' down that easy, Blondie."

* * *

Angel watched over Spike like Katherine had asked of him. And only because she'd never asked him for much the entire time she'd known him and that he knew how much she cared about the bleached blonde.

"You think you two would learn that hanging together gets you into trouble."

The soulful vampire muttered to himself as he thought of what Darla had told him last year.

"_We would be having sex right now, but a little birdie told me that was a bad idea."_

"_What birdie would that be, Darla?"_

"_Katherine. You know, a mob almost killed her and Lynn in '69 Italy. She was with Spike and Dru, so I'm not all that surprised." Darla replied._

"_Katherine was almost killed?"_

"_Many times. And each time it's with Spike. They're going to be the deaths of each other."_

_Silence lapsed. "Darla?"_

"_Yes, lover?"_

"_When you leave this room, don't come back. The next time, I will kill you."_

Angel thought on the memory and how prophetic Darla's words were. He had to wonder whose idea it had been to come bother him in the first place and had a feeling it was Katherine's.

Katherine was trying to kill Faith. Angel still had this desperate need to go out and find the demi-god before she killed the slayer. To stop this and save Faith, but something about Katherine's determination told him that not even their bond would stop her when it came to this. When it came to saving Spike.

Angel could understand that. If given a chance, he'd do anything for Buffy, Darla even. And now, Cordelia. Cordelia was a different story. Something about Katherine had attracted Cordelia into wanting to help Spike. It may have been the fact that Katherine was a friend of Angel's and liked Spike, or it could be that she genuinely liked Katherine and wanted to help. Either could be a possibility, but he was willing to bet it was the latter option.

Angel stood, taking a minute to look at Spike. He left the room and found his friends sitting around downstairs, all looking to be in deep thought. He interestedly wondered if Katherine thought she'd have this much of an effect on Los Angeles.

* * *

Katherine flipped to her feet, kicking Faith in the face twice for her troubles. She could feel him, fighting for his life, fighting to not turn into dust, for her. For Buffy and Dawn. Because he loved them.

Somewhere deep inside, it registered that it wasn't the way she wanted. That he loved her only in a platonic way, the way he loved Dawn, but at the moment she couldn't think about it, taking the emotion and running with it.

Lilah could see, from the protection of her surveillance camera, that something had changed in Katherine.

The lavender haired demi-god caught Faith's fist and squeezed. She smiled coldly as bones popped and the slayer's hand broke. She shoved Faith back and sent a kick to Faith's chest.

Faith stumbled back, the pain in her hand spreading up her arm. She threw her left fist and Katherine caught it, using it to propel the brunette into a wall.

"He loves me." Katherine said, kicking Faith in the chest, then the face, and the chest again.

Faith flew back into a wall and slid down it. Katherine grabbed Faith by the hair and the slayer struggled in her grasp, head butting the other female.

Katherine only grinned, cracking her neck and lifting Faith in the air to toss the slayer into a car. Faith crashed through the front window, rolling onto the front seats.

"He loves me, an' I'm not going t'let him die."

Lilah made a 'tsk' sound as she viewed the scene. "Love as motivation…such a deadly thing."

Katherine reached in and dragged the slayer out. Faith laid on the floor, slowly bleeding to death in Wolfram and Hart's parking lot.

The demi-god reached down and yanked her to her feet. "Dinner for a Mister Spike."

* * *

"We should probably call Buffy. She might want to know." Cordelia said gently, coming into the room with Fred and Angel. "I mean, if she and Spike had some kind of truce."

"Angel, I think Cordelia's right." Fred agreed with the Sunnydale native.

"Katherine will come-" Angel paused when Katherine came into the room with a badly beaten Faith in her arms.

The three moved out of the way as she knelt by the bed. "Hey, Will. I'm here."

She nodded to Angel and he helped her sit Spike up. She then moved Faith so that Katherine easily held her wrist. She used her dagger to slash the slayer's wrist and moved it to Spike's mouth and watched the blood slide down his throat.

Angel heard Faith's heartbeat slow to a near stop. That was when Spike pushed Faith away from him.

Katherine's eyes met Spike's and Katherine nodded before disappearing with Faith.

"Where did Katherine go?" Fred asked.

"To take the slayer to the hospital." Spike answered, sitting up.

Angel gave Spike a look. "You're unneeded trouble, you know that?"

"What can I say, Brood Boy; it's a gift."

* * *

Katherine entered the hospital, half carrying Faith so that she wouldn't be seen as too strong. She handed the rogue slayer over to the doctors and they told her the female would be in a coma. It was possible she wouldn't come out of it. Katherine then decided to foot it back to the hotel.

_YOU NEARLY KILLED HER TO SAVE HIM._

"And she nearly killed him to save herself." Katherine answered, putting her hands in her pockets.

_SHE IS HUMAN. HE IS A VAMPIRE._

"You still don't get it, do you? Humans aren't good by nature. They choose to be. And she chose evil to keep her life. She's lucky he let her go." Katherine left at a corner.

_YES, HE DID. WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?_

"Because he knew I didn't want to nearly kill her. She just made it that way. I didn't choose the ending in this." Katherine explained.

They didn't answer and it made her wonder. She stopped a thought coming to mind. "Why wasn't I shown?"

_WHAT ARE YOU ASKING, DEMI-GOD?_

"Why didn't I know about this?" Her mind flashed to when she mentioned Spike getting a job. "It was a test. His test. He passed his test?"

_YES, THE VAMPIRE PROVED HIMSELF._

Katherine's eyes widened as her experience flashed in her mind.

"Shit."

She took off down the street, disappearing all the while.

* * *

**A/N: What got to Katherine? Is this the last of Faith? When exactly is this love triangle going to be resolved?**


	9. Change Is Coming

**Chapter Nine: Change Is Coming**

Everyone was in the lobby when Katherine burst through the doors about two seconds before the amulet Katherine gave Spike glowed and the vampire fell to his knees.

As the glow spread from the amulet to Spike himself, Angel moved to help him, but stopped at Katherine's insistence. "Angel, don't."

Spike felt his insides felt like his insides were being ripped out and placed back in different places. It felt wonderful, and yet, somehow it hurt like hell.

_THIS WAS A TEST, VAMPIRE. YOU HAVE PASSED. YOU ARE WORTHY. WE AWARD YOU THE ABILITIES ANY AGENT IS CAPABLE OF._

Katherine was next to him in seconds. "Hey…" she smiled.

Spike returned it as she helped him to his feet. "I feel different."

"You **are **different." Katherine said.

"Well, yeah. I'm an agent for the Powers That Be."

"So, what exactly happened a minute ago?" Gunn asked.

"I think the Powers That Be chose Spike and he experienced an intermolecular change that altered his supernatural abilities." Fred answered.

"What?"

"The Powers That Be made him like Katherine."

"Oh. Cool."

* * *

In both Sunnydale and Los Angeles, the next two days went by without supernatural incident, though Buffy confided in Willow and the others present about meeting Stacy Lynn and research ensued with no answers and a need to ask Katherine or Spike about her.

Katherine went shopping with Fred and Cordelia, on the blonde. Cordelia was giddy at the thought of Vera Wang dresses, though she was feeling totally passed that, or so she said. Katherine bought a few outfits for Dawn, being L.A. could be considered a place she and Spike had visited.

That day at sunset, Katherine and Spike got ready to leave. They later stood in the lobby, the Katherine saying, "We've got to go. It was supposed to be a fool and run, anyway."

Over the past two days, they'd learned something. Katherine was rarely serious, and when she was, her hair was purple.

The petite blonde stepped face to chest with the dark vampire being the demi-god had to look up. She pulled him in a crushing hug. "Love her." She whispered before pulling away.

Angel thought quickly on what Katherine could possible mean and then looked at her in realization. " I might."

Katherine smiled. "Do it."

She moved on the Cordelia and also hugged the seer to get her message across. "Love him. It's okay."

Cordelia laughed. "Yay me?"

Katherine moved on to Wesley. She glanced at Fred for a moment. "Follow your heart. It'll never steer y'wrong. Promise." She threw an encouraging smile at the watcher before sliding over to Gunn.

"If you're still not sure why you're here, don't be."

Gunn gave her a look.

"Take off, a cross-country trip might be in order. Find out **who** you are, and **why** you're here. Trusting someone along the way may even help. They'll understand."

She moved on to Fred. "You seem like you're confused. Have a talk with your heart. See what's already there."

Spike glanced at Angel. "So…"

He was trying to think of a way to needle Angel before leaving but he kept hearing thoughts. All of theirs. It put a damper on the Los Angeles trip, Katherine coming to the conclusion that since Spike had this thing with emotions and perceptiveness, he was better at the mind reading. Katherine was more magic. Hands on.

_I wonder what Katherine and Cordelia talked about. Not that it matters. I don't think it'd be a good idea for us to be together._

"Damn it, Peaches, go get the girl and stop pussyfooting around."

"You changed."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Understatement."

A grin crossed Angel's features. "It's good."

Spike scoffed. "Not really." He moved on to Cordelia. "I'd give you advice, but one, it's not really my bloody business and, two, I think Katherine gave you the better part."

Cordelia gave Spike a smirk that he returned. It gave away to a smile. "Thanks."

"You know, Percy, maybe what Katherine said is the truth."

"And you're so sure, why?"

"Kat told you to follow your heart. Follow it." Wesley was left standing dumbly as Spike and Gunn talked.

"Heard England's nice…if you can drive on the left side, or maybe Canada's your kind of place, if you don't mind the cold-"

"Spike." Gunn cut the bleached blond off.

"Yeah."

"I got it. Get going."

Spike moved on. "Fred." She smiled at him and watched him for a moment before hugging him. Spike turned out to be an okay guy after the scare everyone shitless moment. It had been a fun two days.

"I didn't tell you," Katherine started as the two left.

"What?"

"I bought a car."

"What?! Where the bloody hell is my motorcycle going…" Spike's irate voice trailed off as the doors closed shut behind them.

It took them a moment before Cordelia sat down and picked up her magazine. Fred followed, pulling out her notebook. Wesley began to go through files and Gunn and Angel went over unsolved cases.

It was almost as if Katherine and Spike hadn't come. Except the different atmosphere was obvious.

* * *

In five days, Katherine and Spike had been to China and Australia. They kept in touch with the gang in Los Angeles, via Cordelia and Katherine.

Katherine hadn't said so yet, but she'd given up two centuries of a normal agent's lifespan to anchor Angel's soul to Cordelia's so that the two could be truly happy and together. She loved Angelus like a brother, but the one she knew was never coming back.

"Where to next?" Katherine asked from her position lying next to Spike. If her didn't agree with her, she could always…

"France. Germany. England." Spike ticked them off on his fingers.

"And, then back to the states?"

"Back to Sunnydale, yeah."

"Sure about that?" Katherine asked coyly, kissing Spike's lips and pulling away.

"Kat…yes, I'm sure."

"One more day here?" she asked, kissing him again and moving lower.

"One more day." He relented, losing his interest in the conversation.

Katherine smirked, sitting up. "Beach time." She left Spike in the hotel room and stopped herself outside. She just left Spike half-naked on a comfy hotel bed for some sun playtime **without **the half-naked Spike. She continued down the hall with her beach bag, knowing there was something wrong with her.

* * *

"Are you lost?" she asked as he finished pumping gas into his truck.

Gunn turned to look at her. She was tall, at least five feet, seven inches. Blue eyes. Long dark hair. Sexual. She wore a gray lace tank and a black leather skirt. A long black leather jacket and boots finished her look. Black lipstick. Black eye shadow. Black nail polish.

"And if I am?" Gunn looked at her warily.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Charles. I'm here to help you find yourself. That is why you're here and not in L.A., right?"

"_Trusting someone along the way may even help."_

Gunn remembered Katherine's words. "Who are you?"

"Stacy Lynn. I'm a neutral party." She answered. "I think you know Katherine."

He got in the drivers' side. She waited patiently and expectantly as he opened the passenger side. "Getting in?"

Stacy Lynn smiled and his heart almost stopped. She got in. "You bet."

* * *

Buffy was energized. She hadn't realized before how much energy she put into her time with Spike. She was even patrolling for longer hours. She, Tara, Willow and Dawn had bonding nights every night since Anya and Xander left, plus Katherine and Spike.

Dawn had gotten the call yesterday from Katherine that they'd be home today. She had bounced along, unable to wait for gifts.

"Hey," Katherine called out, very tanned and relieved looking.

Spike looked just as tanned. Well, not exactly. He didn't play in the sun like Katherine. There was no way in hell you'd find him frolicking in the water with anyone.

Willow, Tara, Dawn and Buffy greeted them. They talked, telling about the places that Katherine and Spike had visited. About a half-hour in, Dawn got impatient for her gifts, which was surprisingly around the same time Spike suggested them.

"From the City of Angels." Katherine said. "Los Angeles." She handed Dawn the bag.

Dawn looked through the bag, grinning as she came across some of the coolest clothes ever.

"And England." Katherine then handed Dawn a box.

She opened it to a glass figurine of Big Ben, the famous clock in London. "Wow." She mumbled.

"From France." Spike handed Dawn a second box.

"The Eiffel Tower." Dawn stated, holding it up to Buffy and smiling.

Buffy looked at it and smiled encouragingly as Spike picked up a huge box and Katherine said, "Germany."

Dawn stared at the portrait of the Berlin Wall, grinning. "We can put this in the living room," she turned to her sister with a hopeful look, "right?"

"Of…of course." Buffy answered.

"It's beautiful." Tara complimented, thinking she'd ask Spike and Katherine where they went later.

"From China." Spike picked up a scroll. He rolled it out to show Chinese lettering. "Says 'Dawn'."

"Wow." Willow commented. They did a lot for Dawn, forcing her to believe there was more to the blondes.

"And Australia." She handed the teenager a boomerang that said, "Dawn".

"We would've got you something from New Orleans, but the only thing that comes to mind are-"

"Mardi Gras beads and those were too practical. I get it." Dawn said, grinning all the while.

"Las Vegas." Katherine took a deep breath preparing herself for the outburst. "Got you a bank account."

"What-" Buffy started.

"Wait, Buffy. I tried my luck, won lots of cash, realized I don't need the cash, and decided to give it you and Dawn. So…just take it." Katherine was already a step away from pleading with the slayer to take it.

"How much is in it?" Willow asked.

"At least half a mil-"

"Half a million?" Buffy gasped.

"Yeah…problem? Because, if y'don't want it-"

"No! No. Thank you, Katherine." The slayer cut her off. Buffy had her pride, but she needed to think about Dawn. And she couldn't take care of her younger sister on Double Meat Palace salary.

_Sorry if I was a bit of a bitch before._

Katherine grinned_. Apology accepted. Same here. The way I acted before was uncalled for. This is a gift. From me._ "You're welcome, Buffy."

"Oh! We forgot about Stacy Lynn!" Willow said.

"What?" Spike looked up at the mention of the vampire's name.

"Vampire. Black hair. Blue eyes. Carries a sword hidden…somewhere. Kicked my ass. Told me that she wasn't here to hurt me. Her name was Stacy Lynn. Now, who the hell is she?" Buffy looked from Katherine to Spike.

"Her real name is Stacia. She was born in 1900 France. In 1919, Will, Dru and I were passin' through and Spike caught sight of her. She was a seer like Dru. Except, she didn't run. And she didn't hide." Katherine said, looking at Spike since it was really his story.

"In 1920, I turned her. She purposely invited me in, knowing who I was. I didn't really have a plan outside of turning her."

"Why did you want to? Turn her?" Dawn asked.

"She was…different. Something about her was just calling out that she was special, important, and that she needed this, now that I think about it. Something told me I had to. So I did."

"Okay…so you turned her and suddenly she's Stacy Lynn?" Willow asked in confusion.

"After I turned her, I took her back to Dru and Kat. She and Kat got along and Dru and her just…didn't. She went by Stacia for two decades, and then in the 1940's changed her name to Lynia and around the 1960's settled on Stacy Lynn."

"After the meet the new member thing, I went off to do what I was supposed to. In 1935, I ran into the trio in England."

"Doing what?" Dawn asked.

"Let's just say, they were in England." Katherine said, a weird look on her face.

Point made. It was an absolute massacre of humans and demons alike. No one was safe. Under Katherine and Spike's teachings, Stacy Lynn was a walking arsenal.

That alone should've have spoken to Buffy and told her that the being in love with an ex-killer on an electrical leash thing was a stupid idea…until said leash is removed and ex-killer becomes an agent for the forces of good.

"Didn't see her again until 1946, right after World War II. She told me that in 1943, she had to kill a bunch of Nazi soldiers trying to 'recruit' demons as war weapons. Also said she ran into Angel on a submarine headed back for the states."

"Poofter made me swim from the damn thing twenty minutes before sunrise. Dick." Spike grumbled to himself.

"In 1969, there was this mob in Italy. Damn mob tried to shoot me with an arrow. Oh, and we almost died in a fire."

"I haven't seen her since 1995."

"I saw her from 2000 to…earlier this year." Katherine guessed that was about right, not that it really mattered. "I think she might have went to see Darla and Dru."

"So…she's a walking arsenal?" Willow asked.

"A-and she doesn't discriminate between humans and demons?" Tara piped in.

"But…she's soulless." Buffy guessed.

"Jury's still out on that one." Katherine picked at a bit of dirt under nail, thinking she might have to repaint her nails later on tonight.

"What?"

"We don't know. She can't have one because she's just…mini-Angelus sadistic, y'know with the million and one weapons under her clothes…but then again she's trustworthy. Too trustworthy to **not** have one. If you can understand that." Katherine replied. Yep, definitely needed to paint them later.

A long silence lapsed and Dawn was the first to speak, "So…what's in the other bags?"


	10. Triangles of Love

**Chapter Ten: Triangles of Love**

Three days later, Xander and Anya were back and a "welcome back" party was planned for it. The Scoobies laughed, they talked, they told stories and they played games, staying away from "I Never…" and hard liquor because of Dawn and the traumatic experiences from the last time.

The next day, Anya was ready and behind the counter, serving customers at the Magic Box with a bright, content smile on her face. Xander was also back to work. Willow, Dawn and Tara had decided to go see a movie with school being over and, for lack of anything better to do, Spike joined them though he was distracted with trying to figure out what Stacy Lynn was up to.

Buffy and Katherine meanwhile decided to spend the day shopping and talking, which was weird to everyone else but the two blondes.

"So, finally figured it out?" Katherine asked as they sat down at a table in the food court.

Buffy knew what she meant. About Spike. And how she felt about Spike. "Um, yeah. I guess. Why?"

"You glow." Katherine answered.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah." The demi-god smiled. "Question is…what are you going to do about it?"

"You're not seriously asking this."

The girlfriend is not supposed to ask the girl that she knew wanted her boyfriend what she was going to do to get the boyfriend. It was just weird and kind of wrong. Scratch that-very wrong.

"Why not?" Katherine raised an eyebrow.

Buffy's eyes widened. "Because he's your boyfriend."

Katherine sighed, rolling her eyes and giving Buffy a look. "And?"

Buffy looked Katherine in the eyes and saw that the other female really wanted an answer. Buffy sighed, truthfully saying, "I don't know."

* * *

"Las Vegas. You plan on finding yourself in Las Vegas?" Stacy Lynn asked skeptically.

"It's a pit stop. You got a problem, you can walk." Gunn replied. It had taken three days to get here, with stops for gas and staying the day at inns for Stacy Lynn.

"No. I'm here to help. You got six months to find yourself, Charles." Stacy Lynn followed him out the truck and towards the motel.

"Why do you do that?" Gunn turned to look at her.

"Do what?" An innocent smile graced her face.

He almost stopped breathing. Gunn didn't know why, but something about her got to him. She was beautiful and every time she smiled he felt like sunlight was shining down on him, which was ironic since she couldn't actually venture out into the sun.

"You call me Charles. My name is Gunn."

"Maybe to you friends. Maybe to you and the people on the streets. But I prefer Charles. It is your **given** name. Not your last name." Stacy Lynn answered. She walked around him. She smiled as she walked backwards to face him, "Besides, I like Charles better. It's…intimate."

Gunn's throat went dry and he cleared it. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah." She nodded, running her hands up his arms in the middle of the parking lot. "Makes me feel like…" she touched his cheek and smiled when he closed his eyes. "I've known you my whole life." She stepped back and walked towards the front doors.

His eyes snapped open and he growled to himself as he followed her inside. Her words still ran through his mind and he could still feel her hands on his arms, and his face.

"Call me Charles if you want." He said when they met up at the front desk.

She smiled at him and he felt played. She was going to be the death of him.

* * *

"Traveling the states isn't helping." Stacy Lynn said.

"What?" Gunn looked up from his game of solitaire after none too secretly pulling the Ace of hearts from the bottom of the deck.

"I have a story." She took the cards and sat next to Gunn on the bed. "In the beginning of time, there was a girl. With a guy she loved. Warrior champion of the village. It was a primal kind of love, but it was there. And she was expecting. Not that anyone knew. But then, three shamans took her to a cave, chained her up, and implanted a demon in her. And then, there was the first female slayer. She fought the vampires and other uglies of the night until she had to worry about the baby. When he was born, she went back to fighting.

"This kid was special. He was pure good. You can even go as far as to call him the First Good. His mother was eventually killed and he grew up by the ways of the village, fighting the good fight. And eventually he had kids. One girl, one boy. The boy was special. He followed his father, fighting as the village taught him.

"But as time went on, infidelity grew and it became **impossible** to find who had the spark, according to a demon who really needed a bit of help with the fashion angle but I say he was just a loser who fell asleep on the job, until 1920."

"That's when you were turned." Gunn stated.

"Bingo. And I tracked the line, half the time. Eventually, I came to L.A. after Sunnydale. Had to find the one with the spark. Had to let him realize his destiny and train him."

"Found him?"

She looked him in the eyes, not blinking as she said, "I should think so."

* * *

"Buffy," Spike knocked on her bedroom door before entering. He had something to give her. Something he hadn't done yet. Not that he even knew why he hadn't done it earlier, or why he was even doing it in the first place.

"Spike." Buffy smiled warmly at him as she opened the door.

And that was why. The way she'd started looking at him since they came back from their road trip. It made the decision for him.

"Tara said I could come right up." Spike explained.

"It's okay. Come in."

This was the first time he was actually in her room with her invitation. They stared at each other for a moment before Spike entered her room and they stood across from each other.

"I have something for you." Spike said after a moment.

"Really?" Buffy asked. She'd never admit it aloud, but she'd felt kind of put out. The fact that it was nearly a week since he came back only made her think that he'd been nervous about giving it to her which just brought her conversation with Katherine to mind and now she was babbling in her head.

It was one thing to get the complete content and peaceful feeling from Tara. And then to automatically feel nervous, happy, and uncertain the minute he got into Buffy's presence. He had a feeling all of this came from the slayer herself and he was channeling it.

"I just didn't know how to do it in front of everyone else." He explained.

"I-it's fine." Buffy said, "Really. Even though you didn't have to. We haven't exactly been-"

"Close. Well we were, but not in the way you mean." Spike said with a slight smirk and Buffy blushed, feeling hot suddenly.

"Here. It's from China. A-" he pulled out the weapon and handed it to her.

"Sword. Cool." Buffy smiled, taking it from him and swiping it through the air.

"Antique, according to Katherine. Engraving says 'warrior of the good fight'. I don't know if it specifically meant you, a slayer. But no evil can touch it."

Buffy fingered the markings up the blade, liking the feel of the handle. It felt hers. Like it belonged to her. "Beautiful."

"From France." Spike handed her a small box.

A jewelry box. "Um, wow. You really didn't have..." she trailed off, "…to." She finished, slowly opening the box. It was a cross. Gold with rubies. A ruby at each of the four points as well as one in the center. "Oh my God."

She'd never seen anything like the piece of jewelry she held in her hands. That she lifted up, just to watch the light glint off the gems embedded in the cross.

She looked up at Spike, tears in her eyes. "You're the best, do you know that? No one's ever…I mean this must have cost you…I mean, I know Katherine said you're rich for life, but…I don't deserve it."

Spike smiled and wiped the few tears of joy from her face. "Yes, you do. It was nothing, really."

Buffy smiled back and they both had this moment where they fell in love all over again.

_Don't know my ass. As soon as I get the courage to stab Katherine in the back…

* * *

_

Buffy was radiant when Dawn came home. The teenager had squealed with her as the slayer showed her what Spike had personally got her.

"I can't imagine how much this must've cost." Buffy said breathlessly.

"Thousands, maybe?" Dawn guessed, happy to see her sister happy for once.

"Do you think he spent thousands?" Buffy asked.

"Who spent thousands?"

Both girls turned to see Xander entering through the front door.

Buffy took a deep breath. "Xander, we need to talk."

Dawn took the hint. "I'm going to go…listen to these CDs I bought." She walked up the stairs as the old friends sat on the couch together.

"So, Buffy. Lay it on me."

This was it. Once Buffy told Xander, she couldn't pretend any longer. She took a deep breath, "I love Spike."

* * *

"You think I'm the one you're supposed to find?" Gunn asked, standing up.

Stacy Lynn stood as well. "No. I **know** you are the one I'm looking for."

Gunn stepped away. "No. I'm just-"

"Just what? Some guy with a few skills, trying to do some good?" Stacy Lynn cut him off incredulously. "Save me the bullshit, Charles. You've felt it. All your life. There was something you were born to do. Well, this is it. This is your destiny."

She sighed. "It's going to get bad. So bad, I won't even know what the hell the future is. I'm not even sure I do right now. All I see are twists and turns and backtracks and, and…speculations."

Gunn shut his eyes when she didn't continue. A destiny. He wasn't supposed to have one. No matter what she said.

"So, Charles," Gunn looked at her. "Are you in? Or are you out?"

* * *

"What?!" Xander yelled, which was totally expected. Because if it wasn't and he hadn't, this wouldn't be a conversation with Xander.

"Please tell me you didn't just say you were in **love** with **Spike**."

"Why not?"

"Why not? **Because**…he's **Spike** and-and because he's **Spike** and also, 'cause it's a feeling other than intense hate, disinterest, disgust, or contempt." Xander said as if that was all the reason in the world to discredit her feelings.

So far, Buffy's biggest worry would have been Xander jumping on a "stake Spike" campaign. But, one, that was impossible now, and, two, it was more of a "be a complete jackass" campaign.

"It's nice that you feel that way, Xander. You're totally right in feeling that way."

"Thank you."

"But that doesn't mean I don't love him, just like you love Anya and it doesn't mean that I'm going to just let it go." Buffy said, standing. "I've got three words for you, Xan, and don't be offended, but **deal with it**."

The slayer then turned and walked out of the living room, leaving Xander in a stunned silence on the couch.

* * *

Buffy bounced her leg up and down as she sat in the Magic Box, watching Spike. She had thought about it and she had to tell him. Just not with Katherine around.

The Scoobies, Spike and Katherine all sat in the Magic Box, unable to decide what to do for the night.

Katherine, on the other hand, was not up to anything. Stacy Lynn's appearance was a message. And it was bothering her. Mix it with the vision she had that week or two ago and she was feeling that it was up to her to make the decisions.

"Bronze! C'mon. I know we do it every time, but it's a tradition." Willow said, looking at everyone else.

The others shrugged and got ready to leave. Katherine instead grabbed Spike's arms as they left. "Will."

He turned and looked at her. "Kat."

Buffy was last, stopping when the other two blondes didn't follow.

"I…we have t'talk." She said, thinking, _I'm doing the right thing. I'm doing the **right** thing._

"What about?"

"Your choice." Katherine said.

"I'm not-"

"I'm not asking you t'make it. B'cause, now, it doesn't matter either way."

Spike looked confused as to where she was going and she sighed.

"We're good friends, right? Great, the best?"

"Yeah…"

Buffy covered her mouth as Dawn came back to see what was going on. "B-"

"Ssh." Her mind was racing as she thought of the implications of what Katherine was asking. That maybe…she couldn't even think of it, worried she might jinx her wish.

"And…and sometimes…" Katherine took a deep breath. "And sometimes, it's better if people stay friends.'

"Katherine, what are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that…that I shouldn't stand in the way of true love. Well, maybe not true love 'cause that's for saps, but a love that could survive black and white or good and evil. Something I don't really know if I should've interfered with from the beginning." Katherine was wringing her hands and she stopped to look Spike in the eye.

She kissed him on the cheek and stepped back, giving him a watery smile. Yeah. She was letting go. Forever.

"It's over, Will. 'Cause I'm obviously not for you. Not according to your heart." With that last part barely said, she walked past him, not paying Buffy or Dawn any mind.

Dawn spared Buffy a look before following Katherine. Buffy watched her sister go and turned to watch Spike's back. She could tell he knew she was there even as he didn't turn to face her.

He sat down at the reading table, still shocked that Katherine had done that. He didn't want to acknowledge Buffy even as she sat next to him.

"I…" Buffy trailed off, trying to piece together the right set of words. "I have something to tell you."

Spike looked at her. "Really. And what have you got to say?" He kind of wanted her to drop whatever subject she wanted to talk to him about now. He really wasn't in a good mood.

"I get that you're not in the talking mood, but I've got a **lot** to say, and I think you should listen to me this once." Buffy said gently. When the hardness left his gaze, she plowed on.

"I had a complete attitude and emotional change over the past few weeks. First Riley came back. All nice and perky and daisies with his **perfect** wife, Sam, who was just as commando-y as he was and just the G.I. Jane to his G.I. Joe."

Spike looked down, a grin on his face at her comparison. Buffy smiled back. "Is that a smile?"

Spike gave her a look and she stared back before they both laughed and she sat back in her seat. She had this feeling, as she understood what Katherine did. And also why she did it.

"And then, Katherine came to town. And, God, I was jealous. From the moment I saw her. And that bothered me so much. She had no problem being open with what her feelings were on things and I still had this part inside of me that had me keeping it bottled up inside. And it seemed things would be better if I just tried to forget about it."

She sighed before continuing, "But a talk with Willow and a week without you two around changed that and I was waiting for a moment without Katherine around. There's…something Willow, Tara, Dawn, Anya, **Katherine**, and even **Xander** know that you don't. And it's three words I've needed to say for more than a week now. I love you."

Spike looked at her sharply and she was determined to finish. "And I'm not saying it because I can. I'm saying it because that's how I feel and, God, I hope I'm not too late and that you still feel the same way about me too."

Spike was a barrel of emotions. He was moderately hurt by Katherine, shocked by Buffy, and there was that small feeling of doubt. Add Buffy's nervousness and hope and it was just a nervous wreck party.

_I think she means it, Will. Give her a kiss._ Katherine's voice floated in his head for a second.

He paused for another second before following the demi-god's advice.

* * *

"You dare come to my cave of trials, human." The demon glared at Gunn as he entered, followed by Stacy Lynn.

"Oh, shut your pot hole, Lenny. You know why we're here, so cut the act. Especially since I can totally kick your ass." Stacy Lynn said, smirking at the demon.

"As you wish," Lenny turned to Gunn. "Are you ready, human?"

"Whenever you are, Tall, Green and Ugly. Bring it on."

_**TBC**_


	11. Not Saying Goodbye

**Chapter Eleven: Not Saying Goodbye**

Buffy had nervous energy. She had a **load** of nervous energy. At the moment, she was pacing the training room nervously, waiting for Katherine. Mostly because the last month with Spike had been wonderful and because she needed to ask the demi-god something. Of course, it was kind of wrong to ask Katherine this, but she couldn't ask anyone else. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to do it yet.

Katherine entered through the back door, hair pulled into a bun and wearing the usual outfit of a denim skirt and expensive top. She sat on the closest flat surface and looked at Buffy questioningly.

"What's up?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "Okay. There's this thing I want to do. And it's probably wrong for me to ask you of all people because of the subject, but, since you see the future half the time and everything, can you, can you look me in the eyes and tell me we'll be okay?"

Katherine nearly froze. The vision. This moment was what led to the vision she'd had all those weeks ago. The wedding. Katherine looked Buffy in the eyes and took in what she saw…and she was missing a few blanks, important blanks. All that told her was that the future was changing as they spoke. That things were becoming harder. Harder to deal with, harder to fix. Just harder.

And Katherine knew harder. Harder was staring in Buffy's eyes. The eyes of someone she cared about…to some extent. That trusted her to give the right answer. But, she was unsure. Unsure of how to answer the question. What kind of answer could she give when she wasn't sure about what lay ahead in the next few months?

"You'll be okay."

* * *

Buffy opened the box and stared at the contents. Katherine and Willow had helped her pick it out, even if the demi-god seemed a bit jealous while doing it. And Buffy loved it. It was exactly shat she needed.

The door closed with a nearly silent click behind her and she walked up the stairs slowly, hitting the box she held in her right hand against the palm of her left.

Just outside the door to her room, she reached up to grab a hold of the cross Spike had given her. She closed her eyes, relishing in the moment where she realized just how much she loved him. She then opened her eyes, pushing the door open.

He was sleeping, as she expected. It was five thirty in the morning and Katherine had taken her as far as Rome to find the right thing for this moment. The sun was just peeking through the window and she watched the sunlight play on his skin.

She walked across the room, slipping the box in her jean pocket before sitting on the bed. She shook him gently and smiled a bit when he didn't wake up. She then leaned forward, pressing her lips against his softly and wearing a grin on her face when he woke up, responding to her kiss.

"Nice way to wake up." He commented.

Buffy couldn't help her smile, knowing what she was going to do. "I have a way to make it even better." She pulled the box out of her pocket and placed it on the bed between them.

Spike sat up a bit, reaching forward to pick it up. He opened it and found a ring. It was encrusted with sapphires and they glowed in the coming dawn light. He looked up at her questioningly, trying to come up with possible reasons for this elaborate gift.

"I-I saw it and thought, 'hey, this just screams _Spike_!'" Buffy said. She wrung her hands a bit and then placed them flat on her thighs. "I had this whole speech planned, but then I figures that: one, I did enough already; two, I'll just say I love you; and three, the inscription is a way better explanation."

Spike looked at her for a moment, wondering where she was going with this before lifting the ring and turning it to see what it read.

_Will you marry me?_

Buffy watched as shocked blue eyes met hers. A small smile came unbidden to her face, seeing tears in his eyes and feeling her own soon coming. And, at that moment, she knew exactly what his answer was. He didn't even have to say it. But he did. Maybe to finalize it. Make it real.

"Yes."

* * *

Her eyes shot open at the sound of someone steadily pounding on the front door. She tilted her head to read the alarm clock she now needed while helping Anya out, since, for some reason, the ex-demon expected Katherine at seven thirty. It blinked four minutes to four in glaring red.

She slid out of bed slowly, slipping on a pair of slippers and leaving the room. She padded down the hallway, stubbing her toe on the coffee table.

There was a steady pitter-patter of rain as she moved to her front door. She undid the lock and whipped it open. "What the hell-"

She paused. In her doorway stood Buffy, soaked to the bone, strands of hair clinging to her forehead, clothes sticking to her skin. She was shivering and Katherine could tell it wasn't from the cold, a damp sheet of paper clamped tightly in her hand.

"Buffy, what happened?" she asked, stepping back for the slayer to enter.

Buffy walked in, her body completely numb. "He left." She said after a minute. Her voice held a tone as if she just believed it. She turned to Katherine. "He really left."

"Spike?" Katherine guessed.

A fresh bout of tears appeared in Buffy's eyes and she held out the sheet of paper. She took deep breaths to calm herself, to tell herself that she shouldn't have been surprised. That they all leave. And that Spike was no different.

Katherine read the note. And, for a quick moment, her eyes flashed lavender. She looked at Buffy. "I'll go get dressed."

She went into her bedroom, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a large T-shirt. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and grabbed her keys off the dresser, dropping them in her pocket.

Buffy was standing by the door as Katherine came back into the room like a tornado. She tied her hair up into a bun and gave Buffy a meaningful look.

"We're going to find your fiancé."

* * *

Katherine entered the bar like she owned it. And she could. With enough effort. She headed straight for the bartended, knowing he'd tell her where her friend was.

"Uh, hi. Spike in the back?"

He nodded and she headed towards the back. She had no idea what she'd say, and it had taken her an hour to find him; he'd hid himself well. There were no niceties. Katherine interrupted the game, telling everyone to get the hell out and leaving her and Spike alone.

"What happened?" she asked calmly. She didn't understand. She'd thought they'd be happy. That they'd be together and she could leave, unnoticed and relieved that Spike finally had what he deserved. That's what she seemed to live for anyway these days. Spike.

"Does it matter?"

He's been asking that a lot lately, Katherine thought. And she knew he heard it. "Yes," she answered, her voice rising a bit in anger.

And she was. Angry. She finally saw it. Buffy didn't deserve this. She hadn't deserved Katherine's harshness, hadn't deserved everyone dying, everyone leaving, and Spike was the** last**-

"Why?" Spike asked. And he truly needed an answer. For two months he'd been surrounded by planning, and more planning. Frankly, he didn't care if the bridesmaid dresses were peach or light pink. Not as long as Buffy was still walking down the aisle towards him.

"Because I care."

Spike looked up from Katherine to see Buffy enter and his heart broke in two to see that the pain he knew she felt, he'd caused. But…he couldn't help it.

"Because…I love you and you love me. And that's all that should matter." Buffy continued and Katherine left, deciding to stay out for a change and sitting at the bar for a drink.

"It isn't."

"How about you tell me what matters, then? Why would you do this to me, six hours before our wedding?" Buffy asked, her voice pained, her brows scrunched in confusion.

"I can't tell you. Not even sure myself. I just know that I can't."

Buffy looked at Spike hard. Not seeing anything to betray his emotions, what he said. There was nothing to show that, yes, he wanted her. He wanted her so badly it hurt. He wanted her forever. He wanted to marry her, he wanted to love her, hug her, kiss her, hold her, laugh and smile with her and do it freely. But he didn't do big and extravagant and he couldn't find a way to tell her.

She stepped back, nodding, "Fine. Wedding's…wedding's off. Got what you want now, right?"

"This isn't what I want."

"But it's what you're letting happen, right?" she asked. Not another word came from her, resolving not to cry. She always remembered that saying, the one where the man that deserved your tears would never make you cry. And that was a load of bullshit. Because she felt it. She knew Spike deserved this, her. And she was two second away from crying a river that would make the Mississippi look like a puddle.

She left the room swiftly, by passing Katherine. The blonde immortal noticed, hopping off the stool and grabbing Buffy's arm. "Buffy-"

"Get off of me." Her voice was low, dangerous, as she pulled away. "It's your fault. You said happy. I asked you and you said we'd be happy! And I don't see it! You lied!"

Katherine stumbled back, stunned as the slayer left the bar quickly. Spike left soon after, trying to avoid her notice, but Katherine followed, already knowing what was happening. And she'd spent all of three seconds before it clicked inside of her **why** it was happening.

"Wedding's off." Spike said, stopping and turning to face her. "You can stop now." The last thing he needed was Katherine telling him how wrong it was, how stupid it was, and how he needed to find Buffy and tell her what was wrong. He already knew all that and the last thing he wanted at the moment was a bloody echo.

"No. I actually can't." Katherine said. "I'm not stupid, Spike. You're scared. Scared that, that you and Buffy aren't forever, that you won't last. And I get it. Your love life hasn't been so stellar. There's nothing to be proud of. And I didn't help so much with that. But you're letting her go."

"So, what, now you're an empath too?" Spike asked sarcastically. "Do wonders ever cease?" he turned to walk away.

"No, I've just known you long enough."

Spike stopped and slowly turned to face Katherine. "What could you possibly know that makes you so special?"

"I know that you don't want to do this. I also know that it's about the wedding itself. Not really your taste, is it? And…this isn't about me." Spike rolled his eyes disbelievingly. "I'm serious. I'm not in this equation. Not anymore. I took myself out of it purposely. Because I knew you didn't want to hurt me by choosing Buffy." Katherine said, quickly getting her point across.

"She loves you. Loves you enough to come to me and ask **me** to take her and Willow to sodding Europe so that she could get you the **perfect** ring, just like you spent hours trying to get that cross. The one with the rubies because you figured that they would look good on her. You love her. You know you do. And somewhere you know that this can't **not** work out."

"And what if it doesn't work out, Kat? What am I supposed to do when what we expected our lives to be don't turn out that way and we just keep deluding ourselves?"

Katherine looked at Spike. **Really** looked at him. And she couldn't blame him. She couldn't act like she was above him. This entire situation bothered her, though. Bothered her because, unlike everything else, she couldn't fix it. It had to work out on its own.

"I…" she said this softly, any anger or disappointment she may have felt wiped out of her. "I can't make the decision for you. I've done enough of that. Hell I can't even make you think that one word that comes out of my mouth is good advice to follow. All I can say is that, even if you feel like you'll fail Buffy, she believes in you to be everything she could ever want. Everything she needs. It doesn't matter whether you're getting married in a dusty, stinky alley, or at the Hilton. She'll still be walking down the aisle. To you. And, it's up to you. Because, this once, it's **really** up to you." She turned and walked away, thinking that, if she knew Spike as well as she claimed she did, he'd do what she expected. The right thing for him.

Spike watched her, making a decision. His own decision. No ultimatums. No choices made for him. He'd been left to decide. And, by the time Katherine was indistinguishable from the rain, he'd made it.

* * *

Buffy smiled at the group of people that stood before her. They looked ready. Ready for a war. And the slayer was prepared to start it. Prepared to bring aggression to a whole new level. She was ready, and she turned her back on the crowd behind her.

A blonde in the crowd looked at the brunette next to her. "Gonna tell Spike you're here?"

"Nah." Stacy Lynn said to Katherine. "I figure it's more dramatic if the world's ending."

Katherine didn't reply, Buffy's yells for everyone to get ready distracting her. She watched Cordelia crack her knuckles and Dawn stretch, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

They were all ready when the volley of Buffy's bouquet flew through the air. Cordelia leapt in the air, missing the plastic-and-fabric flowers by mere inches. Others dived for it, almost reaching it.

And then, Stacy Lynn only raised her arm in a gesture and caught the bouquet without trying. She looked at it in surprise and turned to Katherine, wide-eyed. Mainly because no one even knew she and Gunn were there and they'd planned on keeping it that way.

Without a second thought, the brunette vampire tossed the plastic at Katherine, who grabbed it in surprise as the vampire raced out, grabbing Gunn from a corner on her way.

Everyone applauded her and she had to respect the irony that the person who wasn't thinking about marriage caught it. Then, she secretly thought she'd have to kill Stacy Lynn the next time she saw her.

* * *

"Is this going to be a cry fest?" Cordelia asked. "If it is, I'm going now."

Cordelia, Buffy, Tara, Willow, Dawn, Anya, Katherine and Fred stood in a semi-circle, mostly talking about Katherine catching the bouquet. Each time, she continuously protested that she didn't catch it because of Buffy. Then Buffy asked whose it was and when Katherine wouldn't answer, they came to the conclusion that Katherine was lying.

"I think I'm going to push off. Take another vacation." Katherine commented lightly.

"Is that a hobby or something?" Dawn asked.

"Nope. Just something about being in a country where they don't speak English. Might try a demonic dimension or two."

"Are you going to talk to Spike first?" Buffy asked. She didn't know what happened after she left, how she pulled this off. But an hour before Spike called her, Katherine and told her to get ready for her wedding. And here she was, married, talking to her friends, and it was like the past twenty-four hadn't happened. But they had.

"I have this thing. I don't say good bye. If I say goodbye, that makes it final." Katherine said, grinning a bit.

"And you don't like final." Fred guessed accurately.

"Well, since you all seem to understand so well…there are no arguments as to me leaving now." A perfectly arched eyebrow lifted, daring anyone to tell her she couldn't leave.

"Plan on coming back?" Willow asked. These past few months with Katherine had been…interesting to say the least and she had no doubt that when she returned, trouble would follow her.

"No doubt about it. For one, I have a nice penthouse apartment I won't give up. And two, I have a few friends in California, so I might have a few reasons to come back."

Buffy smiled at the demi-god. "I think you'll be back in five months."

"Oh, really?" Katherine asked, a slight smirk on her face. "What makes you so sure?"

"Friend's intuition."

* * *

"You see Kat around here?" Spike asked Angel in passing.

Angel frowned. "She left a few minutes ago." He saw the look on Spike's face at that and came to the obvious conclusion. "Still not saying goodbye?"

"No. You'd think she could've at least tell me she was leaving without saying goodbye."

"She talked to the girls for a while." Angel added helpfully.

Spike dismissed the topic, switching one that was more interesting than Katherine's inability to say goodbye. "How's it going with the ex-cheerleader?"

"If I answered that, it'd be telling."

Spike rolled his eyes. "That's the point, Peaches."

* * *

"Hey, Spike!" Dawn called out to him as he passed her, on his way to take a few pictures with Buffy and other members of the party.

Spike stopped, turning back to her as she held up a slip of paper. "What's that?"

"A note. From Katherine. I think she would've given it to you, but she had to go." Dawn said, handing it to him. "I'll tell the photographer to hold up for a while."

She left him alone has he unfolded the note. It wasn't a slip of paper like he thought, but a reception napkin with water blotches all over it.

He dropped in a seat, reading the note repeatedly as if to make sense out of the words, understand where Katherine was coming from, what she'd been thinking. Around the fourth time, he realized it wasn't possible.

_William._

_Good Luck. I mean that. I'm watching you and Buffy trade two really big pieces of cake and it's kind of sweet. Except, I think I'm the bitter part of this moment. You know, bittersweet? Anyway, I'm not gone forever. You know that. And, I think that's what bothered you the most before. That I might be gone forever by "letting go". But I won't ever leave, Will. I love you. I'm not sure if it's like what you and Buffy have. I'm not going to compare. I feel…better, you know. Actually saying-well, writing, it. That I love you. I mean. The pretext has always been there, but now it's really there. But, I'm going away. Try to get…centered. Calm. Deal. Mostly. Get over it. Plus, there's this penthouse. I love that penthouse. I'm not letting anyone else live there, either. See you in five months, if you listen to Buffy. _

_Have fun. Be married._

_The water is from tears of joy, okay? Joy. Don't let dust in my eyes bring you down. _

_Katherine._

_**TBC**_

**A/N:_ I'm not done yet. Don't even hope I am. There is so much more that I haven't messed with...like, why the hell is Stacy Lynn so important, and how does what I did to Spike and Gunn tie in with things that happen later? Let mr find the time to type and update!_**


	12. Thirty Above and Welcome Signs

**Chapter 12: Thirty Above and Welcome Signs**

It was a blue convertible. Just like the one in the vision. It sped down the highway, zigzagging in between cars. At the driving wheel was a blonde with short hair, blue-gray eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Every once in a while, she drummed her fingers on the wheel or took them off to find a CD in the backseat, eliciting nervous glances from her companions.

Sitting in the passenger's seat was a brunette trying to look nonchalant to the fact that, though a good driver, every other minute, the blonde looked ready to start a fifteen car pile up or go off the road. She drummed her fingers on the dashboard, bobbing her head to the beat of the song coming from the radio, as if it would slow her heartbeat and calm her down.

In the back seat sat a redhead, reading a novel in the backseat and trying to ignore that the wind was blowing the pages, and her hair, all over. She jumped, terrified, when the car went faster. There was no reason for a car so little to have so much power…

"Do we really have to go this fast? I believe you're…" she leaned forward, trying to read the speedometer and freezing at what she was. "Thirty above."

"If you're not in danger o'dying, you're not living." The blonde said, turning to look at the redhead.

The brunette paused in her music session to grab the wheel as the car started to drift out the right lane. "The road, Katherine, the road!"

Katherine turned back, taking the wheel and grinning as they passed the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign.

* * *

"I think I should learn magic." Dawn announced as they walked through the graveyard.

Buffy didn't even turn to look at her sister as she and Spike walked hand-in-hand. "And I think you're suddenly insane."

"C'mon, Buffy. It's just magic." Dawn complained.

"'Just magic'? I think we've learned that it's addictive." Buffy retorted.

"I'm not Willow. Or Katherine."

"I didn't say you were. All I said was that you weren't learning magic. I don't care what new Key-like abilities you suddenly have."

Dawn pouted as a demon lumbered through the bushes. Buffy attacked it, kicking it in the stomach and following through with a backhand to the chest.

The teenager turned to her brother-in-law, an innocent smile on her face. Or, as far as she could get with her intended question in mind.

Spike saw the look. And he'd become very much able to tell when Dawn was about to beg for him to go do something stupid for her. And most of the time, it involved Buffy and something she'd already said "no" to.

"I don't think so. No bloody way I'm going to tell her that."

"Come on, Spike. I really need to learn." Dawn said with a pleading look on her face.

"And you're asking me to tell **your sister** that, of all things, after she already has to deal with you fighting and patrolling. Are you insane, or, are you **insane**?"

Buffy tossed the demon off her and flipped to her feet, hurriedly embedding one of her stakes into the demon's chest. It stilled and she turned back to her husband and sister.

"What's the topic?"

Dawn replied quickly, saying, "Spike thinks it's okay for me to learn magic." She raised an eyebrow at her sister smugly.

Spike spun to face her. "You know I didn't say that."

The teenager merely crossed her arms, eyebrow still raised as if to say, "Prove it."

Buffy sighed. It was times like this where she felt like the oldest one here. "Fine, I'll talk to Willow and Tara tomorrow." Buffy relented, deciding to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand.

Dawn's eyes brightened and she grinned. "You're serious?"

"Yes. Can we get going? I'd like some…me time tonight." Buffy said, giving Spike a meaningful look out the corner of her eye.

He smirked. "Me, or we, pet?"

"Okay! Mushy couple territory! Back away slowly!" Dawn exclaimed, hands over her ears. Everyday it got worse. And she bet it had to do with not having a moment alone to just have sex and get rid of the married unresolved sexual tension.

Buffy rolled her eyes as they restarted their walk through the cemetery, which was supposed to be patrolling. They settled for a silence.

The slayer's thoughts strayed to Katherine. To if the blonde demi-god was having fun, wherever she was. And when she was coming back.

"Could be now." The blonde said, leaning on the gates as the trio neared them.

"Katherine?"

"Yep…that is, unless you're all hallucinatin'…which would just make you crazy, wouldn't it?"

* * *

"I've got one thing to say," Stacy Lynn said, picking up her bag and closing the car door behind her.

Gunn gave her a look. "And that would be?"

"Knock me off the bed again and I'll bite you."

As much meaning as there was in Stacy Lynn's voice, it was an empty threat. It had taken three months before Gunn got used to the fact that Stacy Lynn was a demon with no regrets, though she managed to care about him. It took another two months before dating even entered the equation. And another two months before he even entertained the thought of letting her bite him.

"Like that's new," he retorted as they entered the hotel. "You're just-"

Stacy Lynn cut Gunn off, kissing him on the lips, as there was a set of footsteps on the stairs.

Angel saw Gunn in a lip lock with a mysterious woman. He had a small smile on his face as he started to call out to his friend, only for the female to turn to him and smirk.

"Hey, Angel, how's it going?"

* * *

There's always these little moments where you think your worst nightmare will come to life. And there it was for Angel, in the form of Gunn's new girlfriend.

Her smile was bright and streaming of innocence. Anyone would trust a girl with her face. Except, Angel knew better. Mostly because Stacy Lynn was about as creative with the hot pokers as the vampire Spike had hired years ago. A fleeting thought had passed on why Spike hadn't hired her; she seemed like the type he and Katherine would know.

It was half expected. In other words, Stacy Lynn was poised and ready. She ducked the first punch he aimed her way. Blocked a second. She ducked every advance Angel made, refraining from hitting her boyfriend's friend. She didn't need Gunn mad at her again.

A punch caught her in the jaw and she careened back, falling on her knees. She jumped to her feet, raising her face quickly, her eyes an untamed, wild, yellow and her teeth as fangs. And odd smirk was on her face as wisps of hair hung in her face.

"This ought to be fun," She commented before kicking him in the chest and landing a second high kick to his face. He flew on his back and she folded her arms across her chest.

Angel rose to his feet, demon visible, and lunged at Stacy Lynn, taking them both awkwardly over the couch. Stacy Lynn bucked the soulful vampire off her and rolled to her feet.

Gunn then got involved, grabbing Stacy Lynn around the waist before she could attack Angel. If he'd known she'd get into a fight the first time there, he'd have come alone.

The other three occupants rushed down the stairs in a hurry at all the excitement. They slowed to a stop as Angel's face returned to his human on and he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

Stacy Lynn did so also, examining it and then looking at Angel in appreciation. "You hit less like a girl than before." She was insulting.

"Who the hell are you?" Angel asked, already annoyed by her presence. For years she'd been this anonymous attacker, annoyance, showing up wherever he was every few decades.

"Stacy Lynn. You might know my sire. He's about my height, bleached hair, blue eyes…" she trailed off as understanding sparkled in Angel's eyes. "His name's Spike."

* * *

In seconds, Dawn was hugging Katherine tightly.

"Katherine, I'm so glad you're back! Buffy and Spike can't go anywhere without making out; Xander and Anya are gonna be parents, but I didn't tell you because Anya wants to. Willow and Tara might adopt and I totally need a boyfriend."

"Hi, Dawn; nice t'see you too." Katherine raised her eyes to the stunned couple and forced herself to smile. "Hey…guys." That didn't even sound right to her.

Five months had passed, giving the awkwardness of the situation time to set in. Since she was outside the little love triangle, Dawn was able to observe them as the greeting hung in the air.

For Katherine, it hurt. She could see that much. As far as Dawn knew, Spike was the only guy Katherine had fallen in love with and he was committed to someone else. She was basically the rebound girl. That was it. Sure, Katherine had a chance when Buffy died. But she'd spend forever trying to live up to whatever legacy of an impression Buffy left on Spike. And Katherine didn't want that. She didn't want to be second choice, second best.

For Buffy, it was unbelievably uncomfortable. What else could she call it? Eight, nine months ago, they'd been at each other's throats. Over Spike. Katherine had rubbed her the wrong way, and not just over Spike. In general. She'd pushed feelings Buffy hadn't wanted to feel to the forefront. Made her think about things, realize things, feel a bit of guilt. And she hadn't wanted that. She'd fixed everything, made Buffy feel inadequate. She'd helped Tara open up a bit, fixed Willow's addiction, made Xander and Anya work, helped everyone out in Los Angeles, and had no problem giving up the guy she loved, fixing the wedding, being the maid of honor or catching the bouquet.

For Spike, there was this intense desire to be anywhere but there. Dawn didn't exactly know why; his face wasn't giving away any emotions. Usually, Dawn could read his face like an open book, but it seemed to her as if her were purposely hiding what he might really be feeling.

"Katherine, hey." Buffy said, breaking the long silence. She sensed that no one wanted to be at this dreaded reunion. They needed to let it go, though. Or, at least, try. "Told you you'd be back in five months."

Katherine smiled a bit, relaxed now that Buffy had broken the ice, chipped it away. "That you did. How's it been?" She didn't ask about the married life. One: she didn't want to know; two: it was kinda obvious after what Dawn said.

"I guess you can say it's good." Buffy said.

"That's great." Katherine said, excited enough to fool the three. She and Buffy then shared a quick hug and then she and Spike, who relaxed at their friendliness, as he asked her about her vacation.

"Oh. Fun all around," Katherine said backing away to stand at Dawn's side, giving the couple space. "Started a riot or two, visited Pylea-" she rolled her eyes at that one, " went to France, saw Drusilla and Darla. You know, I didn't think it was possible, but I managed not to stake them. Saw some old friends in L.A. and nearly got Angel chained to the bottom of the sea."

Eyebrows rose at that last part. Spike was the first to respond. "Kather-"

Katherine interrupted him. "Long story."

Just then, a female with long red hair burst through the bushes. The group of four turned their attention her way as she said to Katherine, "I had a vision."

"Marge!" an extremely familiar voice yelled as she broke through the bushes. "Where the hell are you go…ing." She slowed to a stop as she saw her audience, brown eyes wide. "B."

"Well, if it isn't she-who-tried-to-kill-my-sister-and-best-friend." Dawn said, crossing her arms coldly. She was angry. She had to **overhear **that Faith had tried to kill Spike when he and Katherine were in Los Angeles.

"Looks like the mini grew up," Faith said, trying to pretend that comment hadn't cut deep. She felt eyes on her and looked at Spike before looking away. Yeah. Now that she was living **and** he was living, she felt really guilty. Guilt to her elbows. And that was partially why Katherine forgave her. Maybe the **only** reason Katherine forgave her.

"Faith." Buffy said coldly. She moved to hit the younger slayer because she really needed to. She almost killed Spike.

Katherine stepped in her path and Spike grabbed her wrist. She looked at Katherine with confused eyes before spinning to face her husband. "Spike-"

"Buffy-don't." Spike looked her in the eyes and she knew that he'd forgiven her. Because of whatever new abilities he had, he had some unknown reason for why he'd forgiven her.

Dawn titled her head, looking at Faith. Her eyes narrowed.

_I don't know why he forgives you, why Katherine does, why Buffy's not kicking your ass across this cemetery. But I don't. I don't, I can't, I **won't**. I can't and won't forgive you for what you did. To Buffy, to Spike, to everyone._

Faith looked at her, eyes wide in surprise. When Dawn had added telepathy to scary Dawn things was beyond the dark slayer. But that thought wasn't half as important as what Dawn said next.

_And I don't think I ever will.

* * *

_

She ran through the streets, hoping to prolong this as long as she could. To get to someone.

She knew it was coming. The End. And they'd try to stop it, follow it through all the twists and turns. Even through all the backtracking.

She tripped over a jutting piece of cement, stumbling, but continues to run. She heard footsteps from all sides and turned to the left, ducking a dagger that missed her head by mere inches.

She ran.

She knew she had to fulfill her destiny. It was only a matter of time. Death was fate. You weren't supposed to change fated things. They were meant to happen and that would soon catch up with Katherine.

A robed figure flew at her. She kicked it in the face and ducked a fist. She then made her own and hit the figure. She flew up in the air and double-kicked the figure behind her before flipping over the on in front of her and throwing him to the ground. She reached into the waistband of her flowing skirt and pulled out a dagger, jamming it into the figure's forehead.

More showed and her fear arose. Two she could take, more she could not.

She turned down and alley and pushed harder as the courtyard to the Hyperion hotel loomed in the distance. She closed her eyes, praying to any God listening for her to make it.

A figure grabbed her from behind and her mind raced to come up with someone to pass the message on to. Someone to tell, warn, to prepare. Someone who would take action, help. Someone who was family.

_Stacia, be ready. It has come-_

At that precise moment, the figure stabbed her in the chest, being sure to twist it. The unknown female fell to her knees, holding her bleeding wound with death waiting for her as her body fell forward on the ground with a sickening thud, any more of a warning dying in her throat.

* * *

The six walked towards the Summers' house slowly, an uncomfortable silence hanging around them. Buffy walked to Spike's left, Dawn at his right, as if to protect him in case Faith should suddenly decide to not feel guilty. Marge, as Faith had called her, watched them with interest.

Katherine was the last to enter the house. The moment she closed the door was the exact moment that Buffy exploded.

"What's **she** doing here?" she asked Katherine coldly.

"She's here to help, Buffy." Katherine replied. _And we need it. _

"Who says we need **hers**?" Dawn asked then, not caring that Faith stood five feet away. Dawn could so take her down.

Faith bit her lip. It didn't bother her because B was an uptight bitch and Dawn was a little squirt. What they said didn't matter. _Never did, still doesn't._ Faith rubbed at her eye for a moment and then put her hands in her pockets. _I won't cry._

"I do. We don't have time to argue." Katherine retorted.

"That's great." Buffy muttered. "That; is the world going to end or something?"

"Not yet. But it is a possibility."

"So, what are we supposed to do until you know for sure?" Dawn butts in.

"Well…I guess we can play 'catch up.'" Katherine said.

_As long as it isn't "I Never…,"_ Buffy thought to herself as the group of six settled on the couch.

* * *

Stacy Lynn watched the look on Angel's face as he realized just who she was. A smirk slowly crossed her face. "No, Angel, what's with the look?"

"Stace," Gunn warned, wanting his girlfriend to just drop it.

"Looks…" the vampire continued in Angel's face, "like…fear. Is that what it is?"

"**Stace**." Gunn moved forward.

"No-" Stacy looked at Gunn and back to Angel. "What's changed, Soul boy? Does knowing that Spike sired me bother you now? 'Cause if it does, good for you, bastard."

Gunn yanked Stacy Lynn back as Cordelia asked, "You're dating a soulless vampire?"

Stacy Lynn pulled her arm away from Gunn, moving into Cordelia's personal space calmly. "I'm his guide, he's my warrior. You'll see what I mean, seer." She backed away before Angel could lash out at her. "This has been nice, but I think I'll find where we're staying and call it a night." Stacy Lynn turned to walk away, leaving the others to watch her exit.

_Stacia, be ready. It has come-_

She stumbled suddenly as the desperate warning filled her head. Gunn was already racing towards her as she fell to her knees, taking deep breaths to try and get some of her energy back.

"Stace?" Gunn asked, his voice and face holding concern for her.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide in this strange mixture of awe and horror. Her voice reflected this. "The world is ending."

**_TBC..._**


	13. Must Be Tuesday

**Chapter 13: Must Be Tuesday**

Angel took an involuntary step back when Stacy Lynn told Gunn that the world was ending. As did everyone else, but Gunn. Gunn helped her to her feet after she seemed to regain her senses.

"An apocalypse?" Fred asked in a timid voice. They really should've expected one.

"If there is, we'll stop it." Gunn said in answer.

"Oh, there is most definitely an apocalypse. I can't even-" Stacy Lynn paused and Gunn turned from his friends to look at her. "Charles?"

"Yeah?" Gunn drew out the word watching as Stacy Lynn shook her head, before looking at him.

That spell, warning, whatever, did more than she thought possible. "I think I'm gonna pass out."

Seconds after the warning, Gunn was lifting her into his arms, moments before she hit the floor. He was more concerned about her than the world ending. "Maybe we should continue this later," he suggested.

"What happened to her?" Fred asked. She couldn't help being concerned. Maybe it was that Stacy Lynn knew Katherine and Spike.

Gunn paused in his trek up the stairs with his girlfriend in his arms. "She had a vision...or somethin'. Never actually seen her have a bad one awake."

"She gonna be okay?" Fred then asked.

"Yeah." Gunn reassured. _I think so.

* * *

_

"There's gotta be a few things they have in common," Fred said as the group sat in the lobby minutes later.

"Like…" Gunn trailed off.

"They're seers." Wesley stated.

"Well, thank you, Captain Obvious." Cordelia retorted.

"There has to be more than that." Gunn said as if Cordelia hadn't spoken. She rolled her eyes.

"What did you do for eight months?" Angel asked curiously, only to receive a look from Gunn. "…'Cause, eight months is a long time."

"Africa. A few nights ago, she freaked out after a dream and we got on the first flight here."

Wesley still sat deep in thought. "She did call you a warrior. Specifically, **her** warrior. Is it possible that she meant for the Powers That Be?" Wesley asked.

"She **did** compare herself to me," Cordelia added, resigning herself to helping with the puzzle that was Gunn's girlfriend.

"And Cordy's my link to the Powers." Angel added.

"Guess that makes me a warrior." Gunn said, leaning back on the counter.

"So…we have the end of the world coming." Angel announced, looking at the other four. "All we have to do is stop it."

Unintentionally, Cordelia yawned. "That's great everything, but all in favor of sleep now, research later, say 'aye.'" Cordelia piped in. She really was tired. She figured she'd be all ready to tackle the end of the world tomorrow, after she got in a bit of sleep.

It was a unanimous decision.

"Aye."

* * *

Buffy and Faith were the only ones up at six that morning. Maybe it was insomnia. The talk had been prolonged later than expected and sleeping arrangements had been made for that night.

Buffy had taken a seat on the back porch and watched the sun rise slowly. She felt more than saw Faith sit next to her.

Almost immediately, the brunette pulled out a cigarette and lit it. She took a drag before saying anything. "So…you're married?"

Buffy didn't want to talk to her. Not really. Not after what she did. Not when she kept having thoughts of putting the younger slayer six feet under and calling the next one. Maybe a better one.

"Yeah." Buffy answered. "Never actually saw it happening. Not with Spike…not with anyone. Always thought I'd die first."

"You did. Twice." Faith retorted smartly, blowing out a cloud of smoke. It curled around and disappeared into the coming dawn.

"It's foggy." Buffy said, squinting her eyes up as the sky remained a grayish-blue color instead off turning orange and pink with the rising sun.

"Yeah." Faith took another drag off her cigarette before throwing the half-gone stick in the grass. "Let's get down to it."

When Faith stood, Buffy did also, looking the other slayer in the eyes. "Get down to what?"

"You hate me. For everything I did. So…hit me." Faith said, holding her arms out and readying herself for Buffy's tiny fist to fly into her face.

Only it didn't come.

"I don't hate you," Buffy said, "and I won't hit you."

Faith's arms dropped and she stepped back. "Why?" Her face was scrunched up in confusion of why Buffy wouldn't.

"Because he doesn't. And he wouldn't want me to." Buffy replied.

Before Faith could respond, the phone rang. Buffy raced inside to answer the phone and Faith followed at a sedate pace.

"Hello?"

"Buffy, I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. Katherine came back to town…with a few friends." Buffy glanced at Faith, who sat on the island counter, smirking a bit.

"Oh, uh, good. I called to tell you that I'm coming to Sunnydale, hopefully sometime this week. I'll call you later when something exact is arranged."

"Giles, what's wrong?"

"Buffy, the book I'm looking for just arrived. I have to go." The watcher said before hanging up.

Buffy cursed, listening to the dial tone for a moment before hanging up. She turned towards Faith and said, "That was Giles. I'm getting the feeling that the-"

Katherine burst into the kitchen, her short blonde hair a mess. "It's coming."

* * *

Katherine looked around her. She seemed to be in a white void of nothingness. A very unfamiliar place.

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas any-bloody-more." She muttered to herself, looking around for clues.

Her wariness eased away slowly, snail pace slowly, as others that she knew appeared, followed by a woman she was sure she'd never met before, but felt connected to. There was something there.

"You're all here. Good." She had an Australian accent and her hair was blonde, pulled back into a bun. "I'm a…friend." She looked at each and everyone present, pausing at the ever doubtful Stacy Lynn.

"Feel the connection." The connection between them all became stronger. They felt it for theses few moments when it became acknowledged before it faded away, under the surface, where it belonged. "My name is Tracy. This isn't some joke. Messing with you all it the last thing on my mind. Believe that more serious matters are at hand."

Cordelia raised a hand, feeling weirdly submissive as power rolled off Tracy in waves. She didn't know why, but this place, and this ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach was giving her the heebie-jeebies. Whatever was coming wasn't good. And she wasn't even sure if she meant the upcoming apocalypse, or things that would come years, centuries in the future. She just had this feeling that at the very end, they had lost. They had backed themselves into some kind of hole, almost like with a maze where you have to get to the end using the right path…and this just seemed like one of the dead ends.

Tracy raised an eyebrow, but no one commented on it. "Yes, Cordelia?"

"Um, yeah…what kind of serious matters if you're not just yanking our chains?" The seer questioned, anxious to wake up and get out of this weird place. Connection her ass.

"The end of the world." Tracy replied. It was such a simple answer. The end of the world. And Tracy didn't know which one she meant; the world would always be in danger in ending. And, it had occurred to her many times, in the privacy of her own mind, to set things right herself. Do what need be done to save the world before it met its end.

"What; is it Tuesday?" Dawn snapped, exasperated. She was tired of the world ending. Just last week, they had to search the caves in the woods for a cult out to raise some ultimate evil. Now that Dawn thought about it, one minion had said the great power would rise even without them. And then Buffy had made a snappy comment about them not minding being dust in that case before staking the vampires…which was also weird. She didn't like the way this was adding up.

"No. I died." Tracy said calmly. Her death had been the signal; she had known that much. But, if she had not learned anything else from watching this group over the years, death was never permanent. And she was no exception.

"Oh." Dawn's eyes widened, her voice lower. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. It's been a few hours; I'm dealing." A silence lapsed after this and she let them think. About her, the situation, what was coming.

Tara had already decided to believe in this, what the older woman was saying. She'd been having a bad feeling, swirling in the pit of her stomach since the moment Xander and Anya said, "I do," and it hadn't disappeared. If anything, it actually deepened when Buffy took her walk down the aisle to Spike. She didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but she had a feeling…she didn't really think things should have worked out the way they had. Not even herself and Willow.

"There's something coming…and…it's beneath us. I can feel it on the edges of my senses, crawling, scratching to get to the surface. I may have an idea, of what, who, it is, but I won't say until I'm sure. I don't want to be wrong." Tracy said suddenly.

Stacy Lynn figured that no one was really optimistic. There was a reason that only they were there, a reason for why Xander, Buffy, Angel, Willow, others that had played bigger parts than them weren't there. "We're the second string. You've got the bigger players: Angel, Buffy, Charles…and then, you've got us. The guides. The ones that are supposed to point them in a right direction, because as much as they'll pretend, they don't remember anymore."

"I thought y'stopped the philosophy stuff in 1933." Katherine replied from her more relaxed position across the vast of nothingness.

"I did. Around you." Stacy Lynn shot back without a second thought.

"It may be degrading, but you're right, Stacia. The Powers That Be think we're less important, that we're expendable; I'm not lying in an alley for my health. But they're wrong. The first thing this evil will go after is our warriors, the ones we're destined to find, guide and train. Without them, there's no point to us."

"But that's not true." Dawn protested. "Just the other day, I saved Buffy from a vamp. How can I be any less important?"

"Think of it this way, Bit. To the big ones playing chess, we're just pieces; they get to move us around and do whatever they want. Good versus evil is their game." Spike said, thinking about all the trials he'd seen Katherine go through when she messed up, to prove her worth to them. "They're not really interested in our say about their strategy."

"Well…that sucks." Cordelia muttered darkly.

"Yes, it does." Tracy said with a small smile. She turned to the only one there that rivaled her age. "Katherine."

She looked up when her name was called, the conversation of their insignificance striking a chord deep within her. "Yeah?"

"You have to find the others. There are warriors in danger, and there are potential guides. The first two I'm most concerned about, are the charges belonging to yourself…and Dawn." Tracy said, back down to business.

There was no more of a discussion. With all the relevant information passed on, Katherine found herself waking up on the Summers' couch. It was uncomfortable as hell, but she'd deal. Later. Right now she had to make sure Dawn was ready so they could get this over with as fast as possible. She didn't like the idea of being away from Sunnydale during a potential apocalypse.

_Katherine, I'm already packing_, Dawn said telepathically. Katherine filed that away for later.

Grateful that Dawn was doing her part so far, and not too enthusiastic about explaining what was going on to Buffy, Katherine got up and hurried into the kitchen.

"That was Giles. I'm getting the feeling that the-"

"It's coming." Katherine said breathlessly.

"What's coming?" Buffy asked the demi-god, tired of being in the dark about the entire situation.

"Headache, headache, headache," Willow called out as she and Tara entered the kitchen, both clad in nightwear. She saw Katherine. "Hey, Katherine. When did you get back?"

"Willow, hey. Last night." Katherine replied. "Hi, Tara."

The blonde witch waved and Buffy gave Katherine a knowing look. "You're stalling."

"I know." Katherine countered.

"It's the end of the world, B; what else?" Faith said as Dawn came downstairs, followed by Spike. She looked up at the newcomers for a second before turning her attention towards the conversation, nervously wondering if everyone else knew what she'd done, if they'd all treat her like Dawn was.

Willow frowned. "The end of the world?" She asked, looking at Katherine.

Dawn spoke up instead. "Pretty much, yeah."

Katherine turned around to face the teenager. "You're ready?"

Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Packed and everything." She held up her small suitcase.

"Where are you going?" Buffy asked, following Dawn and Katherine out the front door and down the porch steps. Ever since Katherine had showed up, the weird just kept on coming. This weird leaving-with-no-answers thing was the last straw.

Dawn turned to face her sister, saying, "Buffy, I have to do this. Trust me?" She looked at Buffy imploringly as Katherine pulled up in a blue convertible. When she'd left was pretty much up for debate.

Dawn didn't wait for a reply, heading towards the car. Buffy grabbed her arm and she turned back, imploring. Buffy only had two words. "Be careful."

Dawn smiled, hugging her sister. "I will." She skipped to the car, throwing her bag in the back and climbing into the passenger's seat.

Buffy took a step forward, looking as if she really wanted to chase the care down, because she really did. Willow touched her arm, looking at Tara, who now stood at Buffy's other side.

"There's this thing…she has to go, Buffy." Tara said, her face sympathetic.

The three watched as the little blue car disappeared around the corner and Buffy felt like her heart was breaking.

Of course she did. First, her little sister can fight. Then she can do magic. Now she had to take mysterious apocalyptic trips? Why was Buffy even surprised that she was losing grip on the tight reign she'd kept on her little family for five whole months? Every time Katherine came, things got weird. It was like a rule.

Buffy sighed, deflated. "I know."

* * *

Cordelia sat up in her and Angel's bed, slowly. That dream had been something else altogether. Bordering on unbelievable. Seeing the others, that little conversation about being virtually expendable…she really didn't want to believe it. But she did.

She stepped out into the hall, immediately coming face to face with Stacy Lynn. And she felt this conversation with her. They stood there for a few silent moments, acknowledging that their destinies were intertwined for the moment and that they were forced to work together.

_Guess we should go down_, Cordelia said, not actually speaking to Stacy Lynn, though the vampire didn't notice.

_Probably_, the other brunette agreed, also not speaking.

They made their way downstairs, perfectly connected. They moved the same, wore the same facial expression, and had the same thoughts. The world was going to end if they didn't find a way to stop it. Did that include the ones from Sunnydale? Pretty likely.

_Is there a list?_ Stacy Lynn asked silently. _Of us?_

_I think_ _Wesley has a copy_, Cordelia said as they bypassed the ex-watcher still not having spoken a word. At this point the others were looking at them in confusion. Their camaraderie, their unified moment was peculiar considering that they had a great moment of distrust the night before.

_Katherine probably left it behind. She does that a lot._ Stacy Lynn replied as they began searching the inner office for the book that was suddenly burned in the back of their minds. The others followed them inside, even more worried by their behavior.

Cordelia found the text, pulling the large tome off the shelf and dropping it on the desk. It hit with a loud thud, making Fred jump in surprise. "What is it?"

"The champions recorded over the years. Warriors that devoted their lives to working for the Powers that Be, against evil. And died for it." Wesley said, recognizing the binding. "Katherine left that here."

And at the voices, the connection between Stacy Lynn and Cordelia sank below the surface, always ready for later use.

"Yeah. We were just talking about it a moment ago." Stacy Lynn said.

No one knew what to say to that, not having heard a conversation between Stacy Lynn and Cordelia. Something had most definitely happened during the night.

"Stacy Lynn said she does that a lot, leave things lying around." Cordelia commented.

"Okay; what's in it?" Gunn asked, taking a step next to Stacy Lynn and unconsciously linking hands with her. She smiled at him and he returned it.

"Not what," Wesley replied, taking the book off the table and opening it. "Who. Who would be The Slayers, like Buffy and even Faith-"

"Or the more unconventional heroes, like her friends-" Stacy Lynn added.

"Or just the vampire with a soul himself." Cordelia raised her eyes to Angel's.

* * *

Dawn buckled herself into the seat on the plane, ready for the adventure she was about to embark on. She was actually going somewhere. To do something. And Buffy couldn't keep her from doing it, because it wasn't Buffy's choice. It was hers.

"So…France?" The brunette asked as the plane took off.

"Yeah, there's a future champion there, an' then we 'ave to do a locator spell for the other." Katherine answered.

Dawn nodded in understanding. She looked at Katherine. Like her sister; a less pushy, less bossy sister that didn't treat her like a baby most of the time. The perfect contrast to Buffy. It was nice to think of Katherine that way.

"Who are we looking for?"

"Jess. Short f' Jessica. Then, Trixie. Real name's Zhen. I guess she didn't like 'er real name."

"And she thought 'Trixie' was just so much better?" The teenager replied dryly.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, Jess hangs out in this fight club. She's the champion, so it shouldn't be too hard t'find her."

"Great." Dawn said. She thought about what Katherine had done during vacation and only one thing stuck out to her. "Kat?"

"Yep?" Katherine asked looking up from her magazine.

"You mentioned nearly getting Angel chained to the bottom of the sea earlier."

"Oh. That." Katherine raised the magazine to cover her face as she thought of the events that lead to her underwater adventure. He hadn't really been chained, more like...almost stuffed in a coffin and sunk to the bottom.

"Yeah…"Dawn pulled it down. "That. What happened?"

"What happened was…the demons in Pylea weren't too fond of the fact that I killed their warrior. They also didn't like whatever Angel did when he was there. Put the two of us in the city and they figure it's a piece of cake…only I got there in like…seconds. That's it." Katherine said the last bit too cheerfully and then turned to look out the window.

Dawn cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. "Okay, let's try that again, without all the lying."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Okay…" she turned to face Dawn. "I kinda took the future king's virtue." It came out as a big rush and Katherine was really hoping Dawn didn't catch a bit of that sentence. Unfortunately for her, Dawn caught all of it.

"You had sex with their future leader!"

"Could y'get any louder?"

"Explain." Dawn said, dismissing the criticism.

"Oh. Well…uh, yeah…he was human-first off. He was also hot." Katherine shrugged as Dawn let out an exasperated sigh. "Who knew they were so big on celibacy?"

**A/N: Some things never change. **

**_TBC..._**


	14. Like An Open Book

**Summary: **We find out Dawn and Katherine's progress. Stacy Lynn clues us in on why she might not like Angel. Spike and Stacy Lynn catch up. Meanwhile, Angel does that thing he does and Buffy surprises him. Margaret proves just how closed-minded she is, and Cordelia shows how much she's grown. Buffy and Spike's marital UST continues.

**Author's Note:** I'll try to update when I can. Since I get bored easily, I have this tendency to write my stories rather than type them. That makes the updating process so much slower.

**14. Like An Open Book**

After two days in France, Dawn was wishing she could stay forever. She could turn in late, wake up late, go to a night club or two, meet a few guys, see the sites, buy new clothes…and somehow manage to still be serious about finding Jess and Trixie.

Katherine and Dawn spent more of their time having fun than actually looking for their girls. Not that either of them would say a word about their activities. And, anyway, Katherine had leads. They just led to club after club to find Jess.

"Yes, Buffy, for the one million-seventeenth time, I'm fine. And, yes, Katherine is the ideal chaperon." Dawn looked over at where Katherine was going over a list of clubs in France-only it was work related today. They were fight clubs.

"I'm just worried, Dawnie. You're in another country. With Katherine. On an **apocalyptic** **trip** in **France**." Buffy replied on the other end of the line.

"Sunrise, tell Buffy to call Angel. We'll probably need 'im and his team in the next few days, weeks, months, etcetera, etcetera…" Katherine trailed off, never taking her eyes from the sheet of paper before her.

Dawn relayed the message to her sister and then they parted ways, hanging up the phone. She and Katherine were already dressed for a night out. "How's the new lead going?"

"Perfect. This one actually makes sense." Katherine tossed the paper on the coffee table and stood. "Let's paint the town red, Dawn." The blonde grinned.

Stacy Lynn sat on the counter in an off-handish way, tossing one of her many daggers back and forth as the others tried to decide what to do.

"There's no point in researchin'. You won't find anything." She finally said.

The Angel Investigations team looked up. "What?" Angel asked.

"Might as well give up and pack." She hopped off the counter. "Got a phone call."

The phone range and everyone looked at her before Angel answered it. "Hello?"

"So, you know who it is?" Fred asked, fairly awed. She never actually met a bona fide seer.

_You know_, Cordelia started. _I bet it's Buffy._

_And I already know you're right._

"The Slayer. Buffy." The vampire threw the dagger from her right hand to her left. "Sunnydale, here we come."

"We'll be there." Angel hung up and turned to everyone else. "We-"

"Have to go to Sunnydale." Wesley interrupted.

"Stace told us already." Gunn added.

"Oh." Angel grimaced. "Guess it's time to pack then." He followed everyone towards the stairs.

"Angel."

Angel stopped and turned to look at Stacy Lynn. He walked back towards the younger vampire. "Stacy Lynn."

She rolled her eyes. "How's life, or unlife as the case may be, since we last talked? Got your…" she looked around the building, actually admiring it. "Your fancy hotel…your friends…" she turned back to him, "must be cozy."

"What is your problem with me?"

"No problem. Just a minor annoyance. I'm kinda sorry I was twenty-two years too late to meet Angelus."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not stupid. Think I've seen what he can really do, what **you** can **really** do." She moved past him to walk up the stairs. She stopped halfway and turned back to him.

"Every action has a reaction, Angel. Do you believe that if you hadn't met  
Whistler you'd have went to Sunnydale, waited for the Slayer? Met her? Be on the path you're on that gave you the hotel that could be destroyed, easily not exist, and the friends that could die at any time?"

Angel narrowed his eyes at her. "So, what; you have a few grudges so you're just blaming me?"

"No." The female laughed. "I just go so damn tried of everyone always talking about how, 'if Angelus was here, we'd probably be massacring the town right now.' Frankly, I got fucking sick of it. But I got over it. Did something productive with it. Remember the times?"

"Stacy-"

"Not done yet. It isn't fair if you speak out of turn." Channeling, Darla had called it the first time she saw Stacy Lynn do it. It was like having two Drusilla's in the room, which made for some interesting experiments… "Do you want to know why I'm over it? It's because they don't talk about you anymore." Stacy Lynn didn't care anymore, but unknowingly, she was setting up something that would be used against Angel later.

"And the greatest part about that?" Stacy Lynn grinned. "If they don't talk, they don't care."

She kicked him in the chest, watching him stumble back. She raced forward, following through with a quick punch to the face, careful of the nose. He told her that she always went for the nose. Then, she was caught off guard when he grabbed her waist and flung her in the air.

She landed on her feet and grinned at him. "You are **so** in for it."

He smirked. "Give me your best shot, pet."

If anyone were in the room with them, they'd comment on the palpable unresolved sexual tension they were stuck with. It made no sense that they couldn't find the time, or place, to just be a couple.

He ducked a roundhouse kick, followed by a one-two punch to the face. He kicked her in the gut and she doubled over, earning a knee to the chin.

If it were any other couple, the enjoyment of knocking each other senseless would strike a person as peculiar. But, then again, it was Buffy and Spike. And the fighting, plus the passionate kisses, was the only thing close to intimacy they'd get with a few of Katherine's people staying with them until she and Dawn returned, never mind that Willow and Tara lived there.

She swung her leg up to knock him off his feet and flipped to her own. "Ha-"

She was cut off when he knocked her feet from under her. "Tie."

It had been two days since talking to Dawn and calling Angel. Immediately, Angel, his friends, and the new addition of Stacy Lynn had then apologized for fighting Buffy eight months ago, also claiming that it was a part of warning her.

Buffy had raised an eyebrow, sardonically asking, "That was a part of warning me?"

"Well, yeah," the dark haired vampire had answered. "You would've tried to stake me otherwise."

The two days had passed quickly as the two groups compared information they had gotten about what was coming.

Stacy Lynn had, on some level, avoided Spike for two days. She'd had this feeling that he'd ask her things she didn't want to think about the answer to, and therefore avoid any alone time.

She wasn't that lucky.

He found her on Buffy's back porch after a late night meeting; it had to be three in the morning and she felt wide awake.

"I saw you run off at the wedding." He said and she cursed the loud yelp Gunn had made as she yanked him out the door.

"Oh."

"Yeah." She watched him pull out a cigarette pack and took the one he offered her, using a lighter Gunn had bought at a market and gave to her. She took a pull. "How have you been?"

Stacy Lynn smiled, as that hadn't been what she expected.

"Good, actually. Have this nice little set up annoying Angel at every possible chance. A…steady source of sex-"

"Stace, how long have you been in love with Gunn?" Spike cut to the chase.

The dark-haired vampire looked at her sire; she didn't care whether he was still a vampire or not, he was still and always would be her sire, in surprise. "I'm…I'm not. What makes you think that I-how?" she relented.

"You know you're like an open book, right?"

He was grinning at her and she returned it, taking a small pull on the cigarette in her hand and watching as she blew out the smoke and it swirled.

"Only to you," she replied.

"So, um, has life been…good?" Angel asked Buffy as they sat in the alley behind the shop.

God, did she want to go home…Buffy smiled good-naturedly at her ex-love. Her first. And felt…fine. The longing of months ago had faded away. There were no…pangs of hurt, no wishful thinking. No desire to run back time. Okay, maybe a little. But, no hope that someday they could be together again.

"Yeah, Angel. Life's…" Buffy's eyes widened and her smile brightened as she though of Spike. "Life's…really good."

"So…then you're happy?" Angel pressed.

"Yes, I'm happy, Angel." Buffy's smile dimmed a little.

"And life with Spike is good?"

"Yes, Angel. What's this about?" the slayer asked, tired of this game on of twenty-one questions.

"You and Katherine **are** okay, right?"

"**Yes**, Angel. You thought we wouldn't be because of the thing with Spike?"

"Buffy, It's not that. It's just that after Katherine and Spike came to L.A.-"

"You figured, if anyone, he'd marry Katherine, not me." Buffy said. "And Katherine and I would hate each other's guts because a decision was made to end the 'love triangle.' Well, one-it was Katherine's decision. Two-we're stubborn, I get that. But we can't be **that** stubborn."

Angel looked at Buffy and realized how much they had changed over the years. She would always have this place in his heart that no one else but Buffy could touch, and he hoped it was mutual.

"So, Angel, a question, since we're playing catch up."

"Go for it."

"How's it going with Cordy? You two look happy…well, not perfectly happy, but regular kind of." Angel gave her a surprised look and she grinned.

"How did you find out?" Angel was pretty sure he and Cordelia hadn't given and indication that they were dating, and, if they had-

"Spike told me." Buffy stood and headed back inside, laughingly saying, "But you should've seen the look on your face."

Margaret sat across from Faith at the reading table, thinking about the forthcoming apocalypse. "Faith, how long do you think Katherine will take?"

"Should be a few more days," she looked up from her chipped nails. "I mean, she took Dawn with her."

"Who is a child."

Cordelia overheard the comment as she entered the shop, cappuccino in hand. "Normally," she started, nearing the table, "I'd agree, but there's something different about Dawn."

Margaret turned to look at her as she sat at the table. "You trust the girl to be able to help?"

"And you don't. Why did you even come to town with Katherine?"

"I could sense why she came to find me."

"Then," Faith reinstated herself into the conversation. "Isn't Dawn as important as anyone else?"

"You know whatever the hell it is. We're about to face is going to underestimate her. But it defeats the purpose if we're doing it ourselves. All it'll do is get us killed."

They were in a fight club. One with the best standing, which was why Jess was the champion there. Jess was a girl with a reputation, a hard look, and a street fighters' technique her signature.

Dawn had pointed at the ring as she and Katherine watched Jess win a fight once again. The opponent was knocked unconscious by a punch in the face. Jess stood, cocky and smirking as she was announced the winner.

"So," Dawn started, "I'm thinking we wait 'til he night is done, then go scare the crap out of her by talking about demons." She looked at Katherine. "How does that sound?"

"Actually?" Katherine blinked. "Perfect."

"How long was it before Angel asked if things were okay between you and Katherine?" Spike asked as he and Buffy returned home from patrol that night.

"Five minutes of playing twenty-one questions before I realized that was the whole point of him asking for us to 'talk.'" She turned to face him, grinning. "Pretty boots, courtesy of Nine West? Sixty dollars. Nice stylish jeans? Forty-two dollars. Lacy shirt Spike likes? Twenty-two dollars. Any accessories? Ten dollars. Seeing the look on Angel's face when he found out that I knew he was dating Cordelia? Priceless."

She kissed Spike on the lips and smiled at him. "Dawn's in France…Willow's at Tara's…thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think I'm a step ahead of you." Spike answered, pulling her back towards him and kissing her.

Even after five months, it was still surreal to them. It was unbelievable that they'd finally found a point where they fit and they could just be together. And, after going away for three weeks, because it was just much more fun that way, it had given everyone time to fully adjust to the fact that Buffy and Spike were as in love with each other as it was possible for Xander and Anya, or Willow and Tara.

Buffy grinned even as she kissed Spike back, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her waist and they stood by the foot of the stairs.

"Hey, B, you don't mind if I eat the last-" Faith paused as she saw the couple, coming out of the kitchen. Buffy and Spike slowly turned to look at her. A sly grin came to Faith's face as she reached the obvious conclusion. "Was I interrupting? 'Cause if I was, I could just go back in the kitchen. Pretend I'm not here."

_As if it's that easy_, Buffy thought, giving Faith a look. "Did you eat everything at Xander's already?"

"No. Marge just happens to be the endless pit." Faith slowly backed into the kitchen. "I was serious about me not being her though." She gave a wicked a smirk and disappeared into the room, the sound of the refrigerator opening, and then closing, greeting the married couple.

Buffy sighed, turning to face Spike. "Later?" She asked, smiling apologetically. _Damn Faith._

"Count on it," he replied, kissing her on the lips. She relished in it, leaning into him as it lingered, before he pulled away and went upstairs.

Buffy watched him go, the fun of that interrupted when Faith said from behind her, head tilted at the same angle as Buffy's, "Think you could tell me where the mustard is?"

Katherine waited patiently for Jess with Dawn at the back entrance. When the young woman finally emerged, Dawn approached her first. "Um, hi, Jess, right?" the teenager asked as Katherine pulled out a cigarette.

"Yeah, so?" Jess gave her and Katherine looks as the blonde continued to puff; she looked as if she was sizing them up for a fight.

"I think you know **why** we're here." Katherine finally said, putting her cigarette out and hoping that by some miracle she'd trust them.

"I'm starting to think the world may be ending." Jess replied, implying that she **did** in fact know.

"It is. I'm Katherine; she's Dawn." Katherine said. "Now, if we could get out of here **before** someone tries to kill us, it'd be great."

Gunn had known it was going to happen from the moment Stacy Lynn had told him that she knew Spike...no, that Spike was her sire. It was inevitable. "You didn't marry Kat."

"Katherine and me…we're just best friends-"

"With benefits every once in a while," Gunn interrupted.

"Not helping, Charlie. Anyway, she made the decision. She decided it wouldn't work anymore."

"'Cause she loves you."

"Maybe. And still not the reason I came out here."

"So we weren't playing catch up?" Gunn asked sarcastically. "I'm so very hurt."

"Quit the theatrics."

"It's about Stace, right?"

"It's always about a girl." Spike answered, thinking about Buffy and everything he'd done, just because of her and how he felt for her.

"I feel a threat coming."

"If Stace gets hurt, and I find out it's your fault, you won't live to see the next day, Powers be damned."

Gunn should've felt threatened. But, somewhere he knew that Spike just didn't want Stacy Lynn getting hurt. Gunn would've done the same for Alonna.

"Gotcha," he replied.

"Killing you isn't really something I had planned." Spike said as if it was supposed to be anymore of a consolation.

"Yeah…I like me like I am too." Gunn joked. "Alive."

The next night, Dawn sat with Jess to find out more about her life. She was truly interested, but she also wanted to make sure none of the Scoobies slipped up and said something to insult or offend Jess.

"My mother is a maid, last I saw of her. She was the best and I miss her dearly. She always dreamed of going to the United States. I really wish I could make it come true." Jess said.

"You really love your mom." Dawn said with a wistful remembrance of her own mother.

"She's all I got. Don't you love yours?"

"Yes."

Jess could hear the brief sadness in Dawn's voice. "What happened?"

"She died. Aneurysm."

"I'm sorry," the older female apologized. "I shouldn't have-"

"I'm fine. It's been two years. I just miss her sometimes."

"Here I am going on about me mother. Tell me about yours." Jess sat up.

Dawn smiled. "Thanks." She began to recollect her fondest memories of Joyce to the warrior.

Katherine watched them, just outside the room, and understood why Dawn was meant to be Jess' guide. Dawn understood Jess and vice versa. It was a perfect match.

She grabbed her keys to the room and left to find her own warrior.


	15. A Case of Chronic Deadness

**Summary: **Cordelia and Angel get cute. Katherine finds Trixie. Fred and Wesley make a few reassurances. Jess finds out what awaits her in Sunnydale. Buffy has a bad feeling. Trixie and Jess talk. The gang finds out what they're fighting. Their enemy has a call to arms. Stacy Lynn and Dawn talk, giving Buffy something else to worry about. Giles understandably blows up, and the guides and warriors are revealed. Tracy sends Willow on a mission.

**Chapter 15: A Case of Chronic Deadness**

"So, we get a break today…and I have an idea." Cordelia said, smiling at Angel as she entered their hotel room.

"Really?" Angel asked, putting his arms around her as she took a lying position on the bed next to him.

"Yep. It involves kisses," she kissed Angel softly and moved closer to him. "And a lot more kisses…plus the privacy sign."

She got off the bed, holding it up to Angel.

"A big plus." He commented as she opened the door and hung the sign up, closing the door and locking it behind her.

"It is. With more kisses…" she said, straddling his hips and leaning down to kiss him again.

"I think I like your plan."

Cordelia was in heaven. Her life had been pure heaven. Having Angel, seeing her friends happy, nothing messing things up. It was wonderful, and great, and she doubted she'd have kissed Angel if not for Katherine.

"I love you," Angel said into her skin and she stilled in shock.

Love. Angel loved her. Loved her, loved **her**. Like committed to her. And she wasn't going to let him go. She wouldn't let him go, because-

"I love you, too."

* * *

Trixie walked down a dark street, humming a song she'd heard earlier in the club. A crashing sound stopped her train of thought. She slowly turned to face the noise and saw a man in a robe. She'd have thought him a priest, except for the markings and the lack of eyes. 

"Déjà vu." She muttered; she'd seen a man like that in a dream, killing a woman in an alley.

The figure lunged at her and she sidestepped the attack, moving to kick the figure in the gut. He caught her foot and lifted her in the air, tossing her into the wall. Her back hit with a thud and she fell to her knees.

She winced when she was yanked to her feet by her long jet-black hair. She desperately attempted to knock her attacker's feet from under him. While he was down, she sprang to her feet and took off down the street, only to be blind-sided as another appeared and tackled her sideways into a wall.

She punched the robed man in the face twice and kicked him in the stomach before spinning in the air to use her other foot to kick him in the face. The figure stumbled back and she pressed her attack, double-kicking him in the chin and shoving him into a wall. Something came over her, maybe the need for survival, and she twisted his neck.

She stared at the dead body, unable to believe she'd just killed something with her bare hands. The other robed figure kicked her in the back and she fell on her stomach. He then kicked her in the side and she rolled on her back. She gasped in pain as he put his foot on her throat and pressed, harder with each passing second.

She grasped the ankle and tried to lift it off her neck, finding that she couldn't and beginning to gasp for air. She felt herself becoming light-headed, the world dimming around her…and then she could breathe freely.

She sat up groggily and saw her attempted killer lying several feet away and a petite blonde woman standing there, arms raised.

Something settled inside Trixie and she finally felt okay, safe. That knowledge in mind, she promptly fell back, head hitting concrete. Only she'd blacked out before then.

* * *

Fred was jumping on the bed in the hotel as Wesley tried to read the book of Katherine's. The bed was comfy and soft; it was really kind of fun. She stopped jumping and flopped down next to Wesley. 

"Think Spike made the right decision? Choosing Buffy?"

Wesley looked at Fred over the top of the book. "Why? You don't think he did?"

"No! I mean, I mean, Buffy's nice and-and pretty and a good person, and I know it was more like Katherine chose for him, but it seems like he just dumped her to me."

"Katherine said she was fine when I talked to her in Los Angeles-"

"That doesn't make it true, and you know it."

"No, it doesn't. But you can't control matters of the heart; neither can you tell yourself who to choose. If we could, Buffy wouldn't have cared and Katherine would be happily married. No one would have problems."

"And us?" Fred suddenly asked. "What about us?"

Fred was looking at Wesley, intensely waiting for his answer. She couldn't describe it, or even understand it, but she was scared of his answer. At that moment, his answer meant everything. It meant the end…or a new beginning. And, damn it, she wanted a new beginning.

"I'd still be in love with you," Wesley said without hesitation, oblivious to Fred's plight.

"Love you too." Fred smiled at him, pushing Katherine's book aside and leaning forward to steal a kiss. She felt something come over her. Turned out to be a song.

"_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know how, how much I love you. So, please, don't take my sunshine away_."

* * *

"So…there are vampires, demons, and in betweens. Apocalypses tend to happen every other week. The world is determined by The Powers That Be. Your sister is a supernatural hero called a Vampire Slayer. The one person in the entire world that can slay the vampires and demons. She's also married to an ex-vampire-turned-agent for the Powers That Be." Jess said skeptically. 

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, but also-her best friend's married to an ex-vengeance demon. Her other best friend is a witch, with a girlfriend. But Tara's really cool. And Willow, the witchy best friend, her first boyfriend was a werewolf. And I'm a Key, which means I totally didn't exist three years ago."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Jess asked.

"Destiny."

* * *

Buffy completely didn't expect it when Spike grabbed her from behind as she entered their bedroom. She pressed her lips against his, a giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach as he carried her over to their bed. 

"Told you to count on it."

"I remember," Buffy replied, smiling softly. "They're home though."

"Don't see why that's stopping you today." Spike said. His mouth drifted to her neck. "Especially when I can tell that you don't really want to stop."

Buffy grinned slyly. "I bet you can."

Imagine if you'd told her a few years ago, that she'd find complete happiness being married to Spike. She'd have denied it with a fiery passion, and would've threatened the person who said so with a very large stake. But there she was, with him, and loving every moment of it. And no one was going to tell her she couldn't and they were able to just be together. Katherine was an eye opener, and she was grateful for this chance…

But something about it still didn't feel right.

* * *

Trixie placed her card down on the try and watched as Jess placed a higher card and then collected her book. 

Across from them, Dawn and Katherine were reading magazines and gossiping about celebrities. They were on a plane back to Sunnydale, much to Buffy's relief.

"I believe Katherine. I don't know why, but something about her tells me to." She told Jess in a slight whisper. "I saw the assassins with my own eyes…if I didn't believe the dream. They tried to kill me. And she was there. She saved my life."

Jess looked at her questioningly, allowing Trixie the next book. "Are you ready for a war?"

"No. And I don't think I ever will be. But I will try my damnedest to make it work."

* * *

Katherine waited for the group to settle down, taking a seat on the counter, even as Anya sent a death glare her way. There'd been greeting, introducing Jess and Trixie to everyone, and an hour of nothing had gone by as Xander left to get Giles. 

"I think I might know what we're fighting," the blonde announced, finally receiving everyone's attention as she moved to stand in front of the table, her back to the door.

"I bet they're shamans." Buffy said, remembering Trixie's stories about robed figures, and thinking back on her own experience four years ago.

"They're not shamans, B." Faith replied without taking a look in the other slayer's direction.

"Before we went to France, I didn't know. But then when Trixie was attacked by a man in a robe-"

"Shamans!" Buffy jumped in.

"They're **not** shamans, Buffy." Dawn said this time, not looking at her sister or the slayer beside her. She was still annoyed at Faith's presence. No trip to France could make her forget how much she hated the other brunette.

"-With no eyes." Katherine continued as if they hadn't spoken. "I automatically realized just what we're dealing with here."

Behind her, Giles and Xander entered the shop, the bell attached to the door ringing. Everyone looked at them as Giles said, "I believe we may be fighting the First Evil."

There was a silence after as everyone digested the news of the big evil of the year having a name. Then Katherine turned to the watcher and said, "**I** was going to say that!"

"Katherine," Giles said shortly, noticing the demi-god.

"The First Evil?" Trixie spoke up, reminding them what the real topic up for discussion was.

"I kicked its butt four years ago." Buffy paused, looking at Giles from her seat next to Spike, their hands entwined. She could see him trying to notice and pushed it out of her mind. "Are there shamans in a cave again?"

_What is it with you and shamans?_ Spike only received a glare in response.

"No there aren't. It's not the same, Buffy."

Cordelia spoke up then. "Tracy was killed a week ago. Trixie was almost killed three days ago. The First isn't only trying to end the world; it's trying to kill us."

* * *

The blonde stood on what looked like a stage. She was surrounded by a dozen eyeless robed figures, her minions. Her green eyes scanned them impatiently as she tapped her petite feet on the surface beneath her. An illusion all too real. 

"This…is it." Her voice sounded exactly like Buffy's. "I don't want anyone to survive. Go for the weakest. That doesn't men the youngest, or the oldest. **Not** Katherine or Dawn. Go for the missing ones and the unsure ones. **They** are the ones too unstable to stick for long. They lose their nerves, they lose their lives. And if I lose, you will all know my wrath."

The female became a taller blonde. Her hair lengthened, becoming lighter, her eyes changing from green to a deep blue. Her clothes became the drab rags of a time nearly eight centuries ago. She smiled, not at all of the good nature of the soul that once inhabited the form. No, it was a sinister and malicious smile.

"Won't Kat be happy to see me?"

* * *

"So…you're Stacy Lynn?" 

The vampire turned from pounding the punching bag in Buffy's training room to see Dawn standing in the doorway. "Last I checked, yeah." She answered. "So…you're the slayer's sister."

"I have a name. It's Dawn." She stated.

"That's nice, but I didn't actually ask." Stacy Lynn sized Dawn up. "You fight, right, **Dawn**?"

"Yeah." Dawn said, almost glaring at Stacy Lynn. It might've been the vampire's total disregard for her name.

"Feel like having a go?"

"Okay." Dawn took off her shoes and sweater before standing across from the older female. Stacy Lynn waited as she stretched a bit. "Read-"

Stacy Lynn attacked, moving to punch an in the face. Dawn ducked and rolled. Stacy Lynn nodded at that, impressed by the teenager. "Good move."

"Thanks." Dawn ducked a fist, using the vampire's momentum to flip her and watched her land on her feet, entirely cat-like. "Who trained you?" she asked, figuring every vampire didn't craw out of the grave with an extensive knowledge of the martial arts.

"Katherine and Spike." Stacy Lynn took a kick to the stomach and blocked an uppercut punch. "She and Spike were inseparable when I was first turned. The few times I saw them together, Kat and Darla were like sisters."

Dawn stepped out of her fighting stance. "What were they like back then?"

"In the twenties and thirties, nothing could get between them for long. Not even Dru." Stacy Lynn tossed a lazy punch and Dawn ducked, spinning to kick at her. She caught her leg and shoved her back.

Dawn regained her balance. "Sounds like they were really close."

"They were. In forty-six, I noticed that Katherine was acting weirdly around Spike. Found out she was in love with him."

"It's been fifty-eight years." She lashed out with a punch.

"Not that long to us, Dawn." Stacy Lynn caught her wrist and swung her around, watching her stumble back from dizziness. "I kept it to myself, though. No good would have come of me blabbing. Up until a year or so ago, Spike would choose Dru over anyone else, including me."

"So Spike doesn't know?" Dawn blocked an uppercut punch.

"By now, he has to. He'd be an idiot not to have. And I'm sure Katherine hasn't refrained from telling him in this past year." Stacy Lynn waved Dawn off, not having the heart for a match anymore. She sat down on the mats. "I always thought that no one deserved Spike more than Kat. And then-"

"Then you met Buffy?" Dawn guessed, taking a seat across from Stacy Lynn.

"Something to that extent. I mean, Spike has found something truly great with Buffy…but Katherine and Spike have a spark. And I'm sorry to say it, but a spark like that doesn't just go away. A spark like that will still be there centuries from now, a passion that will ignite every so often. It'll dim for a while, but never be gone."

Buffy backed away from the door to the training room, having been seconds away from calling Dawn so that they could go home from the night. This knot was twisting in her gut from Stacy Lynn's words, and just like the passion that Stacy Lynn claimed Spike and Katherine would always have, it wouldn't go away.

* * *

"When Giles said, 'First Evil,' he meant…?" Fred trailed off. 

"The ultimate evil. Nothing came before." Wesley answered.

"Does that mean there's a First Good or somethin' like that? Y'know, so we can call on it to kick the First Evil's butt?" She was nervous. And she had every right to be so. When things were the first, they were the original. The best. "Pure" in that sense. The first Evil had to be the epitome.

"I think the guides and their warriors are all we'll get." Wesley replied.

Katherine watched Buffy vanish through the door, looking as if someone had stolen her best friend and then neared Fred and Wesley. "Hey, love birds. What's the topic?"

"The First." Fred said as Cordelia and Angel joined them at the table.

"Oh. It can only take the form of a dead person. So, when you see anyone you knew, you should know it's not really them."

"Wait…dead people?" Cordelia jumped in.

"Like a restriction. That means you have to watch out for Stace, Angel, Spike and Buffy too." Katherine answered.

"Okay, that's too 'Sixth Sense' for me." Cordelia muttered.

"That's some information you kept to yourself, Kat." Angel commented.

"Yeah, well…" Katherine suggested.

Giles came out of what he'd still like to call his office as Spike entered the shop, pulling Buffy behind him, Stacy Lynn and Dawn also entering from the training room.

"Where is everyone else?" the watcher asked, only to receive shrugs from the ones present.

Trixie closed the book in front of her and drummed on it as Gunn and Jess came inside with pizza. She'd read it, trying to understand more about this world she'd thrown herself into, this world of the supernatural.

"We've got food," the French brunette announced as Gunn placed the boxes on the table. Right behind them were Willow and Tara, both holding the drinks and placing them on the table.

Just then, Anya, Xander, and Jonathan came from the basement, the men carrying a box each. Jonathan was struggling as he came up last, Anya first as she hummed happily.

"I'd have done it myself, but I'm pregnant. Pregnancy is a valid excuse." Anya paused. "Actually, I'd have you do it either way."

Margaret and Faith came up the stairs, each carrying another box. "You're just lazy," Margaret commented.

"Maybe. But still-pregnant."

"Well, it's everyone." Giles sighed as no one paid him any mind. "And, apparently, I'm talking to myself."

Xander dropped the box, ignoring Anya's noise of indignation. It was followed by everyone trying to get a box of pizza to themselves. Yelling and screaming then ensued, mostly about who had the bigger slices. Only a few predictable ones stayed removed from the battle; Angel, Giles and Anya. Wesley had managed to get a slice before the war began and ate his quietly, an air of disbelief floating around him as he watched the sudden childishness.

"Everyone settle down!" Giles exclaimed. "We have less than two months until the end of the world; for all we know, less than **two hours**!"

Satisfied that even Fred and Xander paused mid-chew to listen to him, he continued. "I managed to borrow-"

"He means nick." Spike cut in from his seat on the stairs, Buffy beside him. She nudged him slightly.

"Borrow." Giles continued, emphasizing the fact that he didn't, under any circumstances, steal them. He had originally planned on returning them later…

Katherine looked ready to comment and Giles beat her to it. "Don't even think of it." Addressing the group, he said, "I managed to…get…a few texts from the Council before leaving. According to them, the First is-"

"Not corporeal. Only able to take the form of a dead person…yeah, some of us already know." Katherine smiled at him innocently. It was kind of her way of getting him back for messing up her announcement the other day. Childish, but so very worth it.

Giles decided to ignore Katherine. "I, from what Katherine and Dawn told me, and from the book that Cordelia brought, have made a few assumptions as to how it is paired off. First off, there are three seers, of three kinds, if that makes sense. Cordelia is a seer of the Powers That Be, seeing people in need of help for Angel to save. Stacia sees everything that is of importance to her, a pure seer, if you will. I'm assuming that you are to guide Gunn. Margaret, from what Katherine has said, sees only the upcoming evils. I figured that your charge is not present."

"So, basically, we're just paired off with the perfect match?" Trixie asked incredulously.

"Essentially." Giles responded. "Now, there are two agents for the Powers That Be. That would be Spike and Katherine. As far as I can tell, Katherine is Trixie's guide, and I am sure that Spike and Buffy have already chosen each other. There are two witches-Willow and Tara. Willow, I believe that you will be a guide to…Xander…and Tara to Faith. Lastly, Dawn and another guide. It's been established that Dawn is to guide Jess, leaving an unknown pairing."

"So, do we know where those three are?" Dawn asked.

"The guide…he's in Sunnydale. Somewhere." Katherine started.

"A warrior is in New Hampshire, another in a hell dimension, if Tara's locator spells are accurate." Wesley finished.

"Which they completely are." Willow didn't hesitate to say. Tara smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Um, which one?" Katherine asked.

"Which one what?" Fred looked up.

"Which one is in a hell dimension?"

"Margaret's," she answered, looking down at her notes once more.

"What dimension?" Margaret asked.

"Quortoth." Fred replied.

"First Pylea, now Quortoth. I swear they hate me." Katherine muttered.

"Is Quortoth like Pylea?" Fred asked.

"No." The demi-god looked up at her. "It's worse."

* * *

"Is this the dream thingy again?" Cordelia asked, looking around the complete void she found herself in almost nightly. 

"Would think so." Spike said, watching as everyone else appeared.

"When they said everyone, I didn't think they actually meant it," Tracy said as she noticed Buffy, Angel, Gunn and other warriors.

"You're Tracy?" Buffy asked upon sighting the woman.

"One and only." She responded. "Jessica, and Zhen. Nice of you to join us," she smiled amiably, despite the weirdness of the entire situation.

"Um, nice to be here?" Trixie asked in a questioning voice.

Jess gave Tracy a weird look, not knowing how to feel about the other woman. "Right. Thanks."

Tracy decided it best to keep up her cheerful air and therefore ignored the animosity that seemed to smother the French newcomer. She turned to the others. "I called you here because of another mission-for Willow."

"No offense…" Jess started and Tracy mentally prepared herself to be offended anyway. "But why can't you go?"

"None taken, Jessica." Tracy lied though she barely raised an eyebrow, detecting attitude from Jess. "I would get my own warrior, but I seem to have caught a case of chronic deadness."

She gave away no emotion in her voice as she uttered the words, but she had obviously intended to seem just a bit sarcastic, all the while making Jess uneasy for asking, and, by extension, Dawn.

Spike couldn't help it and let out a bit of a snicker. Both Katherine and Buffy glared at him. He let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry," Jess winced, taken down a peg or two.

"It's a hindrance, but I've been okay with it for the past few days. I'm over it for the most part." Tracy turned her attention to Willow. "Don't get personal, Willow; take Alexander."

**Author's Note: I know. Xander! You know, there's only six more chapters to go, actually. Of course, there's a sequel, but not the point.**


	16. The Book of Caleb

**Summary: **Dawn and Xander talk about specialness. It turns into a moment where Katherine and Xander find themselves on common ground. Anya attempts to bribe Xander. Buffy gets ready for the 'wrong thing.' Xander and Willow find Tracy's charge. Stacy Lynn meets Caleb. Stacy Lynn underestimates Caleb. Spike and angel take a trip to Quortoth to find the last warrior. Stacy Lynn suffers a bit. Margaret tells Katherine what they might be up against. Buffy and Anya talk. Gunn comes to the rescue.

**Chapter 16: The Book of Caleb**

"So, how is it in the transition from normal to special?" Dawn asked as she took a seat next to Xander on the bench in front of the Magic Box. "I remember that it didn't occur to me that something was different until Buffy, Katherine and Spike sat down to talk in the dining room. Next thing you know, I'm **special**."

"So, you're here to join me in Brood City? I thought that was Angel's domain?"

"Nope. I don't think Cordy lets him anymore. He's like happy Angel…well, not perfectly, 'cause that just leads to badness, but he does smile. He even laughs. I've seen it." Dawn replied, grinning.

"Chosen warrior for the Powers That Be," Xander said, playing with the stake in his hands. He gave a small chuckle. "Unbelievable."

"Why?" Dawn asked. "Because you've been helping Buffy save the world for seven years almost, when you didn't have to."

"Maybe I'm being stupid."

"Maybe you can explain so I can agree with you." She gave him a sideways look. She really wanted to know what was bothering him.

"For almost seven years…I was the one that was normal. The funny guy. The guy who said the wrong thing at the wrong time. The guy who…who got the donuts…Maybe finding out that I had a destiny all this time…this entire time I thought I was useless."

"Newsflash, Xander. Everyone had a destiny. Everyone. And besides that, you are so not useless." Dawn said decisively. "You're so much greater than you give yourself credit for. First, you're a great friend for all of us. I know you'll be a great father to whomever Anya gives birth to in seven months, because you're already a great husband. You should think more on how we see you, Xander. I mean, had the end of the world come via Evil!Willow, you'd have stopped it."

"With a speech about broken yellow crayons." Xander said. Katherine's disbelief as she relayed the information still stung, even eight months later.

"Because you love her. Because…because you knew things Buffy didn't. And you would've understood that fighting her wouldn't go over well, not opposed to just loving her. That's what you would've done. You may not realize it Xander, but you're the heart of the group. Our heart."

Xander finally forced himself to look up at Dawn, only to catch her back as she left him alone outside and reentered the shop.

"Y'know…after that lil' heart to heart, I almost feel like we need t'have a talk." Katherine said, leaning against the wall behind him. "Though I can't actually say I was right headed at the time-"

"Katherine, it's fine. Really."

"If it was okay, Dawn wouldn't have just given you that 'you are too special' speech just now." Katherine said, pushing herself off the wall to sit beside him. "And this is about my foot-in-mouth comment, not your feelings of self-worth…not that they aren't important, 'cause they are. I've just got my own to worry about."

"Like Spike and Buffy. Together."

Katherine looked at Xander sharply. "What-?"

"I know a little something about unrequited love. I'm not stupid."

"Or blind either." Katherine muttered. "The one who sees."

"Avoiding the issue."

"So?" Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"It's your turn to tell all, since we seem to be having a confessions moment."

"I did it…to make him 'appy, okay?"

Xander was almost new to this. Just a year ago, there was nowhere he'd seen anyone that cared about Spike that much, unless it was Dawn. And now, it was almost everywhere he went. And then there was Katherine, who'd taken it to a level he'd never seen. Some part of himself attempted to tell him that she did it for Buffy too, but ninety nine-point-nine percent of his mind, had a feeling that all the demi-god did was for Spike.

"If he's with me…when he could be happier, it really makes no sense for him to be with me. And I'm sorry to put it like this, but you were right. You know a **little** about unrequited love. I've seen it through four pairs of eyes, and I think that if anyone knows exactly as I feel, it'd be Willow. But I'm not trying to be condescending. According to my two lavender relapses last year, I'm **so** far from perfect. I'll never be perfect. History shows it so." Katherine shrugged. "So, I'm okay. I'm completely fine, because that's what I'm supposed to be, and that what I need to be. So this," she waved her arms to indicate the conversation, "has to stay between you and me. That clear, Xander?"

They were face to face. Stormy blue grey bored into chocolate brown and neither was going to look away first, as unwavering as their gaze was. And Katherine was so very readable. It was there, practically posted for the public, right in her eyes. She was scared. Katherine was scared. Of what would happen if they found out. Of what would happen if Buffy and Spike, and everyone else, found out that she was still very much in love with Spike. And that made her vulnerable.

"Yeah, Kat. It is."

A second passed and she smiled at him, standing. "You called me Kat."

Xander stood up, grinning himself. No, he didn't feel better, but half the point was moving past it. And he was. "First time for everything…Kathy."

Katherine's smile dropped from her face. "Promise me you'll never call me that again, and we're good."

If possible, Xander's grin widened. "Promise."

* * *

Willow stood at the front of the shop, tapping her foot against the tiled floor impatiently. A duffel bag sat on the floor before her, filled with her things for travel. Spike and Buffy stood at each of her sides, witnessing the shameless scene with her. Anya was bribing Xander so that he wouldn't go on what could be a dangerous mission where he could be killed or, worse; hurt any important "part" of him. They had no doubts as to what Anya was really worried about.

"I'll buy you that thingy you wanted…what was it?"

"The plasma TV."

"Yeah! I'll buy it for you! I'll…I'll buy two! You'd want two, right? One in the living room, and another in the bed room so you can have that after sex, that is unless you don't fall asleep-"

"Anya…"

Spike raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself,_ I'd have taken it_.

Buffy rolled her eyes, and Willow gave him a sideways look, both having heard him. The redhead then said, _that is in no way right, Spike._

_Yeah, well, she knows how to bribe. Sue me._

"What about our unborn child?" Anya was asking. "I could go into labor!"

"Ahn, you're two and a half months. I don't think you'll go into labor," Xander replied.

"I'll give you sex! You like sex, right?"

"Anya, let him go." Buffy finally decided to step in. "He's coming back. In one piece."

Anya let go of Xander, her hand releasing him from the vice grip she'd had on his arm. Xander rubbed his wrist, giving his wife a suspicious look. Did being pregnant include super strength now?

"Fine. Bye, honey. Come back alive."

"Planned on it." Xander kissed her and Spike and Buffy followed him and Willow out the door to take them to the airport.

* * *

"I don't get it," she said, as she and her husband got ready to turn in for the night. "Why would Xander be a warrior? Not to be…mean…but he has no extra strength, and no special abilities."

Spike watched Buffy brush her hair into a ponytail. "That's the entire point, pet. Powers got this thing about him. He doesn't need the extra strength, according to them."

"Spike…" Buffy gave him a warning glance through the mirror, feeling a bad comment about Xander coming. It was almost weird, being able to see his reflection. It was also nice. This entire situation was nice. But it still felt wrong somehow. She just didn't know how yet.

She didn't know the consequences of what Katherine did. She didn't want to know the consequences. She felt them though. And she'd deal with them. If it involved anything doable, or even, if worse came to worse, a her versus Katherine scenario to set things right, she would.

* * *

Xander and Willow trekked up the neatly tiled walkway of an expensive mansion in New Hampshire. They'd taken a day to themselves to get rid of jet lag in order to find the girl and were now ready to find her and get back to Sunnydale as soon as possible.

"What do you think this one's like?" Willow asked as they moved towards the front door.

"Prissy and pompous. And I'm only going by the obvious." Xander said. "It's a gated community."

"How gated?" The redhead asked.

Xander was about to respond, but then noticed the door. It was already open, and it felt wrong, somehow. "Not very, obviously." He pushed it open a bit, stepping inside. "Creeped yet?"

Willow followed him in and upon seeing the blood trailing into the kitchen and splattered against the walls, she said, "If I wasn't before, I am now."

"Yeah." Xander walked around, feeling a bit green. He was pretty sure that while he and Willow had sat on the plan to get here, they hadn't expected a massacre, and it was becoming quite possible that the person they came to find was dead. The thought had never even occurred to him, and he was sure Willow hadn't thought of it either.

"I'll go into the kitchen. That way you can go upstairs and check there." Willow then left him in the hall, stepping over the blood to enter the kitchen.

Xander moved up the stairs, listening for the smallest sound. He turned when he heard whimpering behind the door to his right.

_Looks like someone decided to hide._

He reached for the door just as the one that was closer opened and a dagger was jabbed in his direction. He backed away as the Harbinger revealed itself, flying out into the hallway and attacking him. He twisted to avoid the second jab and managed to push his attacker away.

"This is just my luck."

* * *

Willow took in the dead bodies of what must've been the kitchen staff as she searched and silently congratulated herself for keeping her food where it belonged. In her stomach. She didn't know how long the bodies had stayed there, and she really didn't want to find out.

She moved back into the hall as she heard a thump upstairs. Fright gripped her and she hurried up to the second floor, reaching the landing just in time to see Xander struggling with a Harbinger. She racked her brain for a spell to help her friend and then remembered Tracy.

The dead woman's warning to not get personal echoed in her ears and she muttered a single word -_strength_- before hurrying past the fight to where she heard the same whimpers Xander had. She opened the door as Xander managed to toss the robed figure into the wall.

"What the hell-?" He paused, confused, just before the minion knocked him down.

Willow ignored that, opening the door to reveal a middle-aged woman. "Are you okay?" the redhead asked, concerned. She helped the woman out of the cramped space and away from the fight.

The woman was obvious one of the help, her uniform a testament to the fact. There was a cut on her forehead, dried blood on the side of her fault. "Yes. I-I'm okay."

"Do you know where…Kennedy…is?" the witch asked as the name suddenly came to her. She smiled when the woman nodded. "Where?"

"The attic."

Willow guided the woman with her upstairs to the attic, not at all thinking about Xander anymore. She'd done as Tracy had advised and didn't get involved. "Kennedy?" she whispered loudly. She wasn't completely careless to assume that Xander was the only one dealing with danger.

A brunette girl came out from behind a couch. She looked at Willow, interested even as she narrowed her dark eyes. "Who are you?"

"Willow. I'm here to help you." Willow answered. "I need you trust that I'm telling you the truth and come with me."

Kennedy looked at Willow and took a moment, deciding that she wanted to believe the witch. "Sure thing…Red."

* * *

Xander figured the only way this was going to end was by killing the Harbinger, around the same time that Willow disappeared up the stairs with the woman. He was sure Willow had something to do with the temporary burst of strength he'd received and silently thanked her.

It took him a while before he managed to stab the Harbinger with its dagger, just as Willow and Kennedy came down to the second floor, the maid behind them.

"So, ladies, back to Sunnydale, our lovely Hellmouth?" he asked, mildly proud of his ability to kill one of the First's minions. Willow only grinned at him.

"**The** Hellmouth, like where **the** Slayer lives?" Kennedy asked.

Willow tilted her head as she realized that this girl before her was a potential slayer. One day, she'd be taking Buffy or Faith's place. Interesting. "Yep. The one and only."

* * *

Stacy Lynn and Gunn had split up upon entering the cemetery. Giles had presented the smart idea that they should keep up with patrol, even in the midst of an apocalypse, and the couple had readily agreed to avoid research.

"There should be a book in my name. In the bible. I think I'd call it Caleb. The Book of Caleb. I like that." A voice in the darkness said.

Stacy Lynn turned in a circle, gripping the stake and easing her hand towards her dagger in the waistband of her jeans. "Just come out, alright?"

"The world is full of them, or did you not know? Dirty girls. Girls full of such filth…all the girls. Even that bitch that swears to God and the all the angels that she's innocent; she's just hiding her dirt." He came out of the shadows as if melting into a form and her feet automatically fell into a fighting stance. "And you'd be the dirtiest of them all."

"You're going to lecture me about my morality and innocence?" She asked disbelievingly. "Been there, done that, ate em', not yet regretting it." She turned to walk away.

Her mistake.

Caleb hit her in the back of the neck with a karate chop and she fell to her hands and knees. "You have to love a girl who thinks she's above everyone."

* * *

Days had passed since Xander and Willow returned with Kennedy Willow and Tara sat across from each other, preparing for the spell to open the portal to Quortoth. They'd be using a bit of help from Dawn. Buffy didn't like that part one bit, and she'd said as much, many times actually. Then Dawn had to remind her that being able to use her control and abilities was way better than being in the dark.

Buffy stood off to the side. She was abnormally worried about Spike. It could be because this was the first day since they got married that she was going to spend many, many hours without it. It could also be that he was going to another dimension, or that he was going with Angel. Buffy didn't know what kind of understanding they had, but it didn't matter. They weren't the best of friends. And then she stopped herself after the first three thoughts because she realized she was just being stupid.

Kennedy didn't believe in magic. She thought it was stupid. That it had no point and that it was just some fairytale crap that people, mostly the watcher she'd had, said was real. As a potential slayer, she'd stopped the supernatural at vampires, demons, and the Hellmouth itself. But, watching Willow as the non-existent wind blew her hair, made it that much more believable. And even though she **knew** that witch was taken, it didn't make her like the redhead any less, but it did defer her from approaching her. Unfortunately.

It was only a moment before the portal opened. Spike tossed Angel the pendant Katherine had given him, just in case he wasn't sun-friendly on the other side. "Ready, Broodboy?"

He jumped in without waiting for an answer, quickly followed by Angel.

* * *

Stacy Lynn kept her eyes shut tightly as she attempted to push herself off the ground. _Ow, damn it._

Caleb grabbed her by her hair and she flew to her feet. "The sins of women go back as far as the memory can stretch. The first vampire was a woman, did you know? She damned men for all eternity, passing off her sin as a disease." He flung her back onto a tree. Her dagger fell to the ground as she slid down the trunk of the tree. He picked the weapon up.

"Is there a point I'm missing in this, you chauvinistic, anachronistic, misogynistic bastard?" There was something to be said about Stacy Lynn. She didn't know when it was of her own good to just shut the hell up.

"I serve an almighty wonder, I'll have you know." Caleb said, just a bit angry with her. He lifted her in the air by her neck, watching curiously as she gasped for air even though she didn't need to breathe. He jammed the dagger through her forearm and into the bark of the tree.

"It will rise and you will know Its wrath," he found another dagger of hers and repeated the action to her other arm. "From beneath you It devours."

"You…work for…the First?" she gasped out, pain lacing her words.

"Of course. I was once a man of God, but then, I saw the Light. A beautiful light, it was." Caleb replied. He found her sword and stared at it in appreciation as moonlight glinted off it. "And it will bathe the world, until It is all you'll know…if you aren't dead, of course."

"We'll…win," she said, even though her brain was telling her that was a stupid thing to say to the man with a sword, currently doing a successful job of pinning her to a tree.

"It will show you no mercy. And neither will I." Caleb said, raising his arms and thrusting the sword through her stomach and into the wood of the tree. He watched in anticipation as her face contorted, all her strength crumpling with the force behind his intent.

Stacy Lynn screamed.

* * *

She attacked with no remorse, kicking and punching. She ducked an incoming attack and sent one back with equal force, congratulating herself silently as she connected with flesh.

She soon found herself on her back for the fifth time since they started, despite her progress. She still thought of herself as a better fighter for lasting longer than the first time she went up against her self-imposed trainer.

"Again?" Katherine asked, holding out her had to help Trixie to her feet.

"You betcha," the Chinese girl said, taking it. She had to duck a punch and a kick that came without warning, and caught on, sending her own punch. It barely dented the blonde, but she continued to fight anyway. There was nothing to gain from quitting.

They continued to spar, moving as blurs around the room. Trixie used the room allotted to her, taking anything that would give her the tiniest advantage over Katherine and using it. It almost reminded her of her gymnast days.

Trixie landed on her back for the sixth time, nearly ten minutes later. She took a deep breath, stretching to ease the aches and pains of nonstop sparring.

"I noticed that you're concentratin' more." Katherine commented.

"Trying to live longer, I guess." Trixie replied.

Jess came inside as Katherine moved towards the door. They greeted each other politely and Jess then turned to Trixie. "Hey, Trix. Up for a fight?"

Trixie nodded with a grin. "Sure."

Katherine watched as they began, Trixie meeting Jess blow for blow, which was certainly more than she could say about the fights she'd witnessed in France. She shook her head of the thought and left the training room. Margaret was waiting for her.

"What's new?" Katherine asked, knowing that whatever the red-haired seer told her, it would be important, crucial to winning this upcoming battle in the overall war.

"I had a vision. We have our own army forming-small but formidable, I'm sure. The First will need its own." Margaret said.

"What kind of army are we talkin' about here?"

Margaret let out a breath. "I've only seen them once before, in a vague dream, so I can't be entirely sure, but we way be talking about Turok Hans."

* * *

Buffy sat outside on the bench in front of the shop. She knew exactly when Anya came outside and sat next to her. She just didn't know why.

They didn't say anything for a while. There wasn't that much to say. All they really had in common was Xander; and Xander, unfortunately for his ego, wasn't that interesting to build a conversation on.

"I know how you feel," the ex-demon started and Buffy looked at her, eyebrow raised. "My extremely mortal husband went to a massacre, just days ago?"

Buffy nodded, remembering her witness to Anya's shamelessly bribing Xander. "I feel stupid." She shook her head. "Did you feel stupid?"

"No. I knew he was Chosen. But he's still killable. I should have remembered that he can take care of himself." Anya answered.

"Yeah…well, Spike's the eternal one in this relationship, I still worry he'll die or something."

"There are worst things than death." Anya murmured to herself. Buffy gave her a funny look. Louder, she said, "Well, you love him. So reason accepted."

"When did you get sensitive?"

"Since never," Anya bluntly replied. "It's the hormones."

* * *

The sun was shining brightly on them as they fell through to the other end of the portal. Angel stood first, taking a look a round as screams resounded in the near distance. Fires raged and demons lumbered by, giving him and Spike looks as the surveyed the new environment.

"You think it'd be more an eternal night kind of place." Spike commented. "Looks like a populated Grand Canyon."

"Spike, do me a favor." Angel said seriously. Something about this place made his skin itch and crawl. He didn't like this place. Not a little, not at all.

"What?"

"Shut up so we can find this warrior and get the hell out of here."

Spike did as requested, but feigned innocence when Angel tripped over Spike's boot-clad foot, bumping a demon. He leaned against the wall of a building, watching with interest as things escalated to a fistfight.

* * *

It was her scream that tipped him off. He'd hear it only once before, when she had the nightmare that brought them back to Los Angeles. When he heard it, he put his legs into order and ran. He pushed forward with all the adrenaline in his body and tore across the cemetery, his worry for his girlfriend carrying him. He…cared about Stacy Lynn. He didn't know what they were, but he wanted to find out. So he ran.

He broke into a clearance, to see her. His stomach lurched. She was pinned to a tree with her own weapons; her grey shirt was stained a dark red by her blood.

He gave no thought as he hurried over to her, mercifully pulling the two daggers and sword out quickly and catching her as she slumped into his arms.

"Gu…Gunn…" she lifted her head from his shoulder. "Watch…trap."

He laid her down. "It's okay." He said softly. "Whoever it was is gone."

He didn't actually believe that, and watched her closely, noticing when her eyes widened. He spun around, catching the hand of Stacy Lynn's attacker. He shoved the man back with all his strength, then grabbing his ax that he'd dropped in his hurry to make sure Stacy Lynn was okay.

"Made a big mistake, messing with my girl." Gunn said, standing and raising his weapon threateningly. He swung.

"All must pay for their sins. She's first in line." Caleb replied, catching the ax handle and using it to flip Gunn in the air.

He landed on his feet easily, and spun to catch a foot to the jaw. He flew on his back, not too surprised to find Caleb standing over him, sword in hand.

Caleb smiled like a Cheshire cat, knowing he'd won. "And you're next-"

The evil preacher froze, his eyes and mouth opening in obvious pain. Gunn watched in barely controlled horror as he split in half from the bottom up. Then, the two halves fell away, revealing a bloody and barely standing Stacy Lynn.

"Not on my unlife." She panted, managing to mutter the quip darkly before she collapsed onto Gunn.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I couldn't resist the scene with Caleb. You cannot venture into Season 7 territory and ignore Caleb. That's just wrong. It's inhumane. And we're getting to my specific premise that I finally figured out for the story. Yay! Though, that doesn't mean there isn't another premise for me to pull out from all the hints I let lie about the plot of this story. If you haven't noticed yet, it'll become more apparent. 


	17. Falling In Love

**Summary:** Angel and Spike finally make some progress. Katherine's losing a bit of herself. Gunn and Stacy Lynn realize something. Katherine gets the key to unlocking everything, but completely misses the point. Connor and Dawn are completely clueless.

**Chapter Seventeen: Falling In Love**

A week had passed for Spike and Angel in Quortoth before they found any trail of the warrior they were looking for. The sun shined brightly on them as they moved through the forested area. Spike stopped suddenly, making a turn that was even more surprising than his pausing.

"Think I know where our boy is." He didn't wait for Angel to follow, looking for the last champion warrior. They needed to get ready for the fight against the First.

A human male with dark hair and light eyes jumped out at them. He had to at least be seventeen years of age as he held an advanced weapon that Angel doubted his world had found the technology for in his hands, aiming at Angel and Spike and switching between the two.

"I'll shoot." He warned.

* * *

Gunn carried Stacy Lynn through the back door of the Magic Box, careful not to increase the pain by jarring any of her wounds. He set her down on the mat.

"Hey…" he said when she blinked up at him, on the verge of passing out. "You're okay now."

"I feel…like shit," Stacy Lynn muttered and Gunn smiled a bit. That was his girl. Can't keep her down for long. Never.

"I'll go get Margaret or Giles. I'll be right back."

Stacy Lynn nodded before her eyes slid shut as Gunn disappeared out the door. Everyone was still lounging around the store front, waiting for Angel and Spike to return, and they looked up when Gunn rushed through the door, blood on his clothing.

Buffy stood in concern, her brain starting to notice his girlfriend's absence. "Gunn?"

"It's Stace."

* * *

"Oh God."

Buffy wanted to follow Katherine's lead as the blonde demi-god made a mad dash out the back door to empty her stomach in the alley. She instead remained a moment to watch as Margaret sat beside the brunette vampire, bandaging wounds with the help of Giles and Wesley.

Dawn was sitting on the stairs in the front of the shop with Gunn, Jonathon, Willow, Tara, and Anya. They'd all decided it would be better if Gunn hadn't been in the room, though he made a move as if to bolt for the door every time she screamed.

Xander stood at Buffy's side, looking very much as if he wished he's stayed with everyone else in the front. And Buffy didn't blame him. Seeing Stacy Lynn liked that was unsettling; at least the bastard that did it was dead.

"I'm going to check on Katherine." She told her friend. He gave her a small nod and she turned her back on the scene of Stacy Lynn to find Katherine gagging as she attempted to vomit; there was nothing left but she continued anyway.

"Katherine, she's okay."

Katherine stilled. "I know." She croaked. "Never actually bothered me before. Blood. Gore. Death. Maiming. And then-"

"Because it's Stacy Lynn."

"Yeah." Katherine pushed to her feet slowly. "How's Gunn?"

"Worried. Pissed. Worried." Buffy shrugged. "Tara's trying to give him a herbal teas and almost everyone else is in the front with him. Xander's in the back with Margaret, Giles and Wes." Buffy replied as Katherine rose to her full height, which wasn't much but it was more than Buffy herself had.

"That's good." Katherine said absently. "It's not right."

"What's not right?" Buffy asked.

"**Something**. I can't…I don't **know**, but I can feel it. When are Angel and Spike coming back?" Katherine abruptly changed topic and Buffy frowned in concern.

"In an hour or so tops." Buffy said. "Katherine-" the other blonde looked at her. "Get some rest. You seem…"

"Nutty?" Katherine guessed with a wry grin. "I feel like it. I'll be okay soon. But I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Buffy nodded, her mind on Katherine's comment about 'it' being wrong.

* * *

Stacy Lynn was being safely tucked into bed at her and Gunn's hotel room when Margaret knocked on Giles' office door. Then she entered. "Giles, right?"

Giles turned to face her, a large tome in hand. "I'd have to insist you call me Rupert. Only Buffy and her friends have taken to calling me that."

"All right, then. Rupert. I presented a problem to Katherine. A…a possible threat." Margaret said, moving farther inside the room. She'd been looking for the chance to talk to the watched and her vision had given her the perfect opportunity to…get to know him.

Giles put the book down. "A serious threat?"

"Not really. But serious enough. There's a chance of Turok Hans coming into the picture."

"Turok Hans? They're extinct." Giles replied, rubbing his forehead. Things seemed to be becoming more complex and harder to deal with by the second.

"That's true, Rupert." Margaret agreed, trying to think on how she could get her point across. At that moment, Fred walked in.

"Maybe…I can explain the details…later…alone?" She smiled, slightly seductive.

Giles was surprised, recovering quickly by saying, "That sounds like…a terrific notion."

Margaret brightened. "It's a date." She left.

Fred looked at Giles after finding her notebook. "A date? I think Margaret likes you." She smiled good-naturedly and left.

* * *

Spike gave the boy a look. "Yeah, sure you will. Now, we're here to help, but not if you keep threatening to put nice bullet holes in us. Get that, Connor?"

"Who are you?" Connor asked, still not lowering his weapon. Many years in this dimension had taught him to always be on guard.

"Spike. And he's Angel. We're going to get you out of here. But only if you point that at something else, preferably not me. Hell, point at a demon." Spike said.

Connor let out a snort. "You're both demons."

"Immortal." The bleached blond pointed at himself, then at Angel. "Vampire."

"You're not any different."

_Right, because the fact that he has the strength to kill the demons is just loads normal_, Spike could hear Buffy saying in his ear. He had no doubt she'd say that if she was with him.

"You're wrong." Angel said, stepping into the conversation.

"Why are you two so special?"

"We work for the good guys." Spike was being cheeky about it now.

Out of nowhere, Angel grabbed Connor's gun and shot the attacking Harbinger clear in the chest. He flew back into a tree trunk and slid to the ground, dead. Connor looked at Angel, eyes slightly widened in a bit of surprise.

"Believe us now?"

* * *

Gunn let Stacy Lynn down on the bed of their hotel room. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine in a few days. Don't worry so much." Stacy Lynn replied.

Gunn retorted, "Well, I do."

Stacy Lynn laughed a bit. "You'll get grey hairs."

"Could you take this seriously?"

Gunn had come close to losing her today. She was there, **hanging there**, and bleeding and Gunn was sure he'd planned on staking her, and he hadn't been able to save her. She could've died, and then where would he be then?

Stacy Lynn sat up. "I am taking it seriously. That's the first time. I've ever lost in the past decade or so."

"You have a hell of a nice way of showing you're worried. I could've lost you today and you're cracking jokes."

"You didn't lose anything." Stacy Lynn said. "I love you too much to let myself get killed."

"And I love you too much to not worry." Gunn responded instantly.

The two paused as their words sank in. Stacy Lynn had the beginnings of a smile on her face as she said, "Did we…?"

Gunn returned it slowly. "I think we did."

"Oh. Then come here."

Gunn obliged and their lips met in a soft kiss.

* * *

A week later, Spike and Angel had finally, somehow, gotten through to Connor. Enough for him to trust what they told him and to agree to come back.

Amazingly, Angel and Connor had hit it off amazingly well, and Spike found himself making the two the butts of his jokes with various father/son comments.

Angel usually rolled his eyes and told Spike to shut up; Connor preferred to take the route that involved ignoring the bleached blond.

When Connor agreed, Spike had stood, grinning at his stony-faced companions. "Let's get back."

* * *

She was having a nightmare. She had to be; she was running down the street, so out of breath, and tired, and **human**. Stacy Lynn was a few paces ahead of her and led her inside a wood house. A house she vaguely remembered…

Katherine followed her inside the house, locking the door behind her. "Well, Stace, this is a fire trap; we can't stay here."

Stacy Lynn turned to face her, becoming Spike. Suddenly they were standing in an empty street. "Why not? Afraid to actually belong, Kat?"

"Or maybe…" Katherine swung around to face Buffy. "Maybe you're afraid we'll find out. Find out you still love **my** husband."

"It's all just a costume. Smiles and jokes. Costumes." Dawn said. It was nonsensical, but made more sense than Katherine would ever care to admit.

"Why won't you show us the real you, Katherine?" Anya asked. "I haven't seen you since 1485, and now you're letting love for a man control you. God, you've changed so much-"

"I don't even know who you are anymore." Darla said, blue eyes cold as ice. "It's like the minute **Spike** walks into a room, you lose all concentration. Your attention deficit ruined our plan."

_Leave me alone_, Katherine thought.

"We can't. We won't." Three voices said as one. "You must learn."

"Learn what?" Katherine asked, her voice echoing. "Leave me alone!"

"You must learn the present." Dawn stepped to the side to show Willow and Tara setting up for the spell to return Spike, Angel and the warrior they found from Quortoth.

"You must learn the future." Buffy let Katherine see a world where trees and all other life were dead. There was nothing but the demons that roamed the land-their kingdom.

"And you must learn the past you will fix." Spike said. She saw the moment she walked up to Spike, fading away into the moment she stopped the fire from coming through the windows, before grabbing Stacy Lynn's hand and disappearing.

"I don't understand!" Katherine screamed, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Fix it," Spike said. Buffy echoed him. As did Dawn, Willow, Tara, Angel, and countless others. "Fix it; fix it; fix it…"

Katherine shot off the reading table and toppled backwards out of the chair, landing flat on her back. She stared blankly at the ceiling. _Fix **what**?_

"Katherine?" Margaret called out, leaning over the table and appearing just on the edges of Katherine's vision.

"I'm good down here, thanks." Katherine replied. She stayed there for a while longer; Margaret raised an eyebrow, looked at Katherine as if she'd begun the process of losing her mind and then pushed herself back onto the other side of the table.

When Katherine finally pushed herself to her feet, Willow was grabbing the crystal off the counter as it began to glow a solid green color. It was the signal that Spike and Angel had found the warrior and were ready to return.

"Tara," she called out to the witch on her left. "They're ready."

Dawn sat down next to Katherine as the reversal spell was done and the portal opened. Spike came through first, followed by Angel and lastly by a really good looking dark-haired boy.

Dawn followed him with her eyes, unable to stop admiring his looks. _Total hottie_.

Connor saw Dawn too, and he himself couldn't take his eyes off her. He'd met people over his time in Quortoth, but never anyone near his own age. She was stunning, beautiful. He wanted to talk to her, learn everything about here, and in return form a bond. Why he wanted this, he didn't know. He only knew that he did.

Spike raised an eyebrow at the two teenagers who seemed frozen in time. He was ten seconds away from a smart comment about it, knowing everything that they both were thinking and feeling-but he actually let it go. Only because of something he remembered Katherine saying about a year ago.

She's not eleven years old anymore.

* * *

The First paced the lair in the form of Spike, angry that its plan hadn't worked. Caleb had been his best officer and now he was dead. "Block my hard work?" It said to itself. "Fine. I'll show you how destructive I can be. You won't even know what hit you."

* * *

Sine Buffy wouldn't let go of Spike for anything, Angel had volunteered to patrol alone. Giles had said something about returning to the basics in the heat of the end of the world-a way to stay sharp and take a break from worrying about upcoming wars.

He hadn't thought about things much these days. Truthfully, he didn't even think he had the time to. Things were happening so fast in this fight against the First; Angel was pretty sure Giles may have been right when he said it could end in two days for all they knew.

"Oh…so much muck." She slipped out of the shadows, slowly, calmly. "It's dirt…crawling all over my skin. Get it off for me, daddy? Before it sinks in?"

Angel let out a bit of a sigh, meeting Drusilla's eyes. She let out a whimper. "Not daddy…never daddy."

"Drusilla."

"I can see it. It's not now." Drusilla stepped forward, her voice lowering. "The time is **not** now, the time is **not** soon. But it **will** come. Most will be ashes. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…and you will lose the game. Game over, play again."

There was something about the way Drusilla said it that put him on alert. "Dru…what are you talking about?"

"Put the pieces together…just in time."

As quickly as the vampire had appeared, she was gone and Angel was alone.

* * *

Margaret smiled at Giles, mostly as an attempt to relieve his nervousness at the situation. She had no idea what Fred had said to Giles, but whatever it was had made him nervous, more so than she usually noticed.

And she had noticed. She'd noticed that the only time he usually "cleaned his glasses" was when Xander and Anya, or Spike and Buffy, did the couple public display of affection things in front of him. He only rubbed his nose when he was angry and her pinched the bridge whenever Xander said something stupid, or when Spike or Katherine interrupted him. He usually took of his glasses when the others weren't being serious enough for him, and sometimes when reading a text.

Truthfully, she couldn't rightly say what attracted her to him, but there was just something about him. And she was very determined to find out what it was that made him so special, so desirable.

"We've been sitting here for a half hour. Saying nothing. Am I making you nervous?" Margaret asked. "Because, we're only here to discuss Turok Hans, if you remember."

"I remember. It's just-"

"Fred said something. Well, let's put it out in the open now." She sat forward and looked at him very seriously. "I like you. Maybe it's in the romantic sense naturally inferred, maybe it isn't. Now, if that's done, you said you believed they were extinct. If that were true, than there'd be no need for me to have seen the hellmouth."

All of Giles' nervousness dissipated. "The hellmouth."

"Yes. They seemed to have been banished. Thousands of them. Hungry, strong, waiting."

"What for?"

"They're waiting for the moment the mouth opens and they're once again free. To swallow us whole. The worst part is that this time they're waiting for the **very** near future."

* * *

Buffy was punching the bag rhythmically when Faith entered the training room, Kennedy, Gunn and Connor on her heels. Buffy stopped what she was doing, turning to face them and raising an eyebrow in question. "What's going on?"

"Hey, B. You up for testing the potential slayer and hell boy here?" The brunette layer asked.

"Nothing to better to do." Buffy replied. _At least until Spike shows up_, she added to herself. "Who's first?"

"Me." Kennedy stepped up confidently to face off against the slayer just as Spike entered.

He gave a little smirk. "Looks like the slayer in training has a pair."

"Yeah. How long 'til B crushes 'em?" Faith responded.

The two laughed, momentarily forgetting that one tried to kill the other nearly a year ago, before looking at each other in surprise. "I'm sorry about…before. I'd have said it sooner, but I didn't think it'd matter, make it better, you know?"

"You're forgiven, Faith." Spike said, watching as Kennedy was forced to go on the defensive by Buffy, attempting to block all the blonde's attacks.

Faith felt as if Spike didn't realize that being forgiven was a big deal for Faith. That is struck a cord within her, made things a bit better in her outlook on life.

The dark slayer nodded, trying to keep any emotion out of her voice as she said, "Yeah. Okay."

What she didn't know was that Spike knew first hand what she felt. And that was exactly why he forgave her. Because he could feel that she needed it, to be forgiven. It wasn't because she deserved it. It would never be because she deserved it.

Spike turned to look at Faith before turning back to watch in time to see Kennedy's back meet the mat.

"You're okay. You need to improve on some things, though." Buffy told the potential.

"Like what?"

"You dropped your right shoulder the entire time and you don't actually have a technique."

Faith whistled. "Someone needs to train…"

Buffy came to stand by her husband, watching as Gunn and Connor sparred, and as Faith gave Kennedy further pointers.

"You think we can win this?" Spike asked, giving her a look before focusing on Gunn and Connor.

"It's possible." Buffy said.

* * *

"Connor!" Dawn called out, racing down the block after him. He stopped and turned to look at her as she caught up. "Where are you going?"

"Cemetery. Patrolling." Connor replied, not looking at her as much as he wanted to. She made him nervous inside. He always anxious. Especially at the meeting the other day when he got the chance to just watch her.

"You fight?" he looked over at her quickly before turning his head.

"Yeah." Dawn only frowned a bit. She wished he'd walk slower and stop acting weird. The whole jog to keep up thing was getting annoying. "So, um…a hell dimension? How did you end up there?"

"I don't remember. Quortoth is the only place I've known." Connor replied as they entered the cemetery. He spared a glance at her and then looked away, his cheeks turning a bit red.

Dawn noticed, and looked away herself. "Oh. So, then, you don't even remember your parents."

"No. But if it's like that guy…Jeeves-"

"Giles."

"-Giles said, they'd be expecting a newborn baby to return to them, not a teenager."

Dawn wrinkled her nose. Connor thought it was cute. "I think I like you like this more. It gives me something to think about."

She paused when he looked at her in amusement, and some embarrassment. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "How many points did I just lose?"

"None, really. I'm starting to like that…you say your thoughts without thinking. It's cute on you."

A bright smile lit up Dawn's face just as a vampire flew out of the bushes ahead of them. Dawn got to it first, lashing out at it with a kick to the face. It punched her back in retaliation and she stumbled back.

Connor was ready to step in when she attacked the vampire with two punches to the face. He froze to just watch her as she proceeded with a spin kick to the vampire's gut and pulled a stack out of her jean jacket, embedding it in the demon.

It fell to ashes and Connor watched as she turned to him, her face flushed, eyes bright and twinkling as she grinned at him.

"I probably would have had this really cute quip like Buffy always manages to pull out of her ass, but I had no time. Maybe I should go home and make a list for future reference."

Connor grinned back at her, and it was this really dopey grin. Anyone but Dawn could tell the boy was falling in love.


	18. The Worst That Could Happen

**Summary:** A day has passed-Dawn is pissed. Katherine finally does something to find the last guide. Tracy gets a visit. Katherine completely misses her warning from Tracy and the First opens the Seal. Margaret doesn't see Dawn's potential and Cordelia and Fred feel exactly the same. The First raises something old. Buffy makes it known how very oblivious she isn't.

**Chapter Eighteen: The Worst That Could Happen**

Dawn was pissed. No-scratch that-Dawn was uberly pissed. The high of a great patrol with Connor last night ruined by tonight's patrol with Faith. Yes, Jess and Tara were present, but that didn't help the situation. At all.

"We should split up. Jess and I can go one way, you two can go another." Dawn said. Her skin itched. Itched for her to do something to Faith. For hurting Spike. For hurting Buffy. For hurting everyone. To make her pay. To make her wake up on fire. And she beat it down with everything she had within her because it was wrong to think that way; even if she liked the mental image it gave her. Her eyes flashed green for the briefest of seconds.

"I-I don't know, Dawnie. Buffy said to stick together." Tara disagreed.

"And suddenly Buffy's commander and chief? I thought that was Katherine or Giles' gig."

"Katherine's busy." Tara deadpanned.

"Hey, we're all friends here. We can patrol together." Faith finally jumped in.

Dawn gave her a cold look. "We're **not** friends. We're not even acquaintances." She looked at Tara, her gaze softening. "Fine. We'll patrol together, okay?"

Jess followed Dawn and Tara gave Faith a sympathetic look; it was in her nature. "She'll come around soon, Faith."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. And one of these days, I'm going to learn how to fly."

* * *

Katherine flipped through the book that she was forced to search from cover to cover. After nearly a month of being unable to find that last guide, she was resorting to a spell to show this last person to her.

"_Ostendo mihi quisnam ego peto._" She murmured easily. A bright white glow appeared in front of her and flew in the air. She was ready to chase it out the door until Jonathon entered and it hit him in the chest, the glow spreading to him.

"Katherine?" Jonathon asked, confused.

"It's you! This entire time, I've been runnin' 'round like a chick with my 'ead cut off, it was you!" she exclaimed in awe, grabbing Jonathon by the shoulders. "**You're** the guide!"

* * *

Tracy looked upwards in relief. It was about time Katherine found him. She didn't even want to think of what would've happened if she hadn't.

Tracy soon found herself facing Stacy Lynn. "You think you can stop this? Stop me? You're wrong, Trace. I will kill them all. Hurt them badly. Startin' with Angel 'cause I haven't even gotten my hands dirty…not that I actually can, but you get the idea."

Tracy stepped back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"There is **nothing** compares to what I'll do next. Watch them all you want, Trace, I'll still win in the end. No matter what."

* * *

Stacy Lynn woke up in the most comfortable position she could ever imagine. She was on Gunn's chest, using it as a pillow. She'd healed, thankfully. But she had nightmares about it. And she was sure he knew. Thank God he never said anything.

She sat up a bit, looking at his face. He was still sleeping at ten in the morning; she had converted him to her kind of hours. He looked sweet, innocent.

"It's amazing what life can have in store for people."

Stacy Lynn turned from Gunn. "Who are you?"

"My name's Alonna. I guess I should be angry my big brother decided to not only be friends with a vampire, but also date another one…only I can't."

"You're Alonna Gunn?" Stacy Lynn found a pair of jeans and a shirt and put them on.

"Yeah. You're going to hurt my brother. Eventually. A lot of times. Even when everything's fixed, you'll do it again, and again. All you'll do is hurt him."

Stacy Lynn's eyes widened. "I wouldn-"

"But you did. You will. Because he'll hurt you first. Karma's a bitch, I guess."

"Then tell me how to fix it." Stacy Lynn said.

"I can't. It's already started. It's been starting."

"I-I don't want to hurt him."

"I know. But you will." Alonna disappeared.

Stacy Lynn fell back onto the bed, stunned by this. Alonna was the real deal, she'd felt it. But this…with Gunn and the no-so-happy future…

* * *

"Tracy. Nice to see you again. What's wrong now?" Katherine said as Tracy appeared in front of her.

"Watch out for the First."

"Been doin' that."

"I'm serious. Katherine, it's going to get really ugly. Remember that memories matter, not the faults. Don't do anything rash…and watch over Angel. I have a bad feeling."

Katherine woke up and sat still, thinking. She couldn't help thinking that Tracy knew something she couldn't directly tell.

She got up to check on Jonathon. He'd passed out the moment she'd made it clear to him about the guide thing.

"Hey," she said, seeing him get up. She'd taken him to the back and took care of the shop instead of waking him right away. "Past the fainting thing?"

"God, I hope so. I feel so stupid."

"For passing out when you found out you're supposed to guide some warrior for the Powers That Be?" Katherine perked.

"Yeah. That." Jonathan took the offered hand and stood. "It's just…the guys and I, we…" he paused, remembering to himself that he didn't leave them; they died. And Katherine killed them. "We always said we'd be like god one day." His voice was low, saddened.

For all anyone else would've known, Jonathon could have just punched Katherine in the gut. The blonde took a step back, a stricken look on her face.

"_For that, bastard, y'die."_

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to forget the memory. She didn't want to remember. If she remembered that day, she'd remember-

"_Kat, y'mum…and dad. They were found by the river."_

"Katherine? Are you okay?" Jonathan asked, noticing the look on her face.

"Yeah. **You're** the one who passed out."

"Don't remind me."

"You **are** okay, though, right?" Katherine asked abruptly.

"Yeah. Fine."

"Good. That's…good." In a whirl of black and white, she left the back room as Buffy came upstairs.

"Hey, Katherine. Angel and I can't find that root-"

The slayer's comment was cut off as a horde of robed figures crashed through the window, weapons raised.

Buffy grabbed the sword conveniently lying by the basement door while Katherine raised an arm and a sword flew out the training room door and into her palm.

"Good thing Anya's at the doctor. She'd kill me about the windows." Jonathan said, just as a minion knocked him down.

Katherine flipped the Harbinger over her shoulder and spun to kick another in the gut before stabbing a third with her sword.

Buffy ducked low and then struggled as a figure threw her back towards the wall. She used the momentum to run up the wall and flip in the air, spinning and landing on her feet, also swinging her sword to decapitate the five nearest Harbingers.

Jonathan hit a Harbinger with a chair and ducked being decapitated by Buffy's sword in enough time to save himself. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" Buffy called out as she sliced her weapon through the air once more with deadly accuracy.

Katherine flipped in the air and landed on the counter lightly. She kicked a Harbinger in the face and dropped to one knee to stab another in the gut, twisting the weapon with extra strength.

Buffy was surprised when a Harbinger shoved her into a wall and retreated, quickly followed by the last remaining ones. Katherine too, was mid-attack. She managed to land on her feet, if only a bit awkwardly and Jonathon came from under the reading table. It collapsed without him to hold it up any longer.

"Anya's so gonna kill me." Jonathon said, taking in the damage done to the shop in disbelief and no small amount of fear of Anya.

"Anya's the least of your problems." Katherine reminded.

"You don't work for her." Jonathon mumbled to himself.

"Like, one: why did they attack and then run off for no reason? I mean, we're all here, they attacked, then they ran away. All of us are still alive, right? No one's dead, including Jonathon, which is…" Buffy paused. "Really surprising."

"I defended myself." The male protested.

"Ha!" Katherine exclaimed. "With a **chair**! I saw you!"

There was something inkling at the back of her mind. Something she was told…

"_And watch Angel. I have a bad feeling."_

"_Hey, Katherine. Angel and I can't find that root-"_

Katherine's eyes widened. "Oh bloody-Angel."

She bolted for the basement. Buffy caught on and followed her to the basement. She bumped into the demi-god's back and saw what Katherine saw.

Nothing. No Angel. No anyone. Just a few dead Harbingers and overturned boxes showed that anything happened.

* * *

"So, Angel was taken by these Harbringers-" Cordelia started.

"Bingers." Katherine interrupted.

"What?"

"You said 'Harbringers.' They're Har**bingers**." Katherine corrected without a single thought towards it, trying to paint her nails perfectly.

"Fine. Har**bingers**, while you three fought them up here?"

"That's good to know," Dawn started, "but why?"

Anya looked a bit drained. After complaining about her shop for several moments, Jonathon had been able to convince her to let go of her vice grip on his throat and explain about Harbingers.

A meeting soon after came into effect. It seems that it was Cordelia's turn to deal with the problems of dating the only vampire with a soul, but she was determined to not break under pressure, or let Angel, for that matter.

"Look, we've known what it wanted for more than just the past month," Stacy Lynn said, standing up.

"What do you mean?" Wesley asked, as everyone's attention was now on the vampire.

"Four years ago, as Buffy mentioned, she dealt with the First. And it was trying to get Angel to kill himself. The way it seems, Angel's a factor when the real shit hits the fan. Shanshu Prophecy, Abjerian Scrolls, all that."

Everyone looked not-so-optimistic and Stacy Lynn shook her head slowly. Even Katherine looked skeptical. "Look," she sighed, "I get the fact that you're all for us winning, Stace, but if Angel's a factor and the First has him, then-"

"Then we get him back! We're supposed to be the good guys. The ones that win. The ones that never give up. Where the hell is that?"

"Angel is a warrior for the Powers That Be. Angel is **my** warrior. And, more importantly, **my boyfriend**. We're **not** just going to abandon him. That's the **last** thing I'll let happen." Cordelia stood suddenly.

Buffy shared a look with Spike and knew she had to find Angel. For Cordelia. For the war. For herself. "Stacy Lynn and Cordelia are right. We can't just give up. We'll get Angel back in time. When we're prepared. Until then, what's the worst that can happen?"

* * *

"It's pathetic that you're my kin. A vampire with a soul, feeling guilt and other things."

The First transformed from Angel's father to Buffy. "Love. Need. Want. Humanity. The **disgusting** need to save even the murderers. All because they're **human**."

It walked towards Angel, the click of its non-existent heels an illusion all too real.

"You do all that…but lack the tendency to breathe and eat human food…like Spike had…when he'd been a vampire…like you **still** are."

It watched as Angel was lifted over the Seal of Danthazar, watched as the Champion of the Powers That Be was bled into the hell mouth to bring back something so ancient and powerful…it watched with hungry green eyes as the vampire's blood dripped over the seal.

The seal glowed and opened the First smiled as its form once again changed, this time to that of the sire of the vampire whose blood dripped for its cause. It was pretending to be Darla. "See? I always knew school would have something for me one of these days."

* * *

Margaret closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and concentrating. The more she did it, and the longer she lasted, meant the closer she was to pinpointing the exact location of every current warrior and guide. It would prove a useful ability in the future if she could only master it.

It was like a sixth sense that washed over when she felt Dawn sit in front of her, legs crossed. "Dawn. Is there something you need?"

"No. I was…just wondering…if you need any help, y'know, trying to find Angel. Because I can. Help." Dawn said. She'd talked to Cordelia and the brunette seer had told her that Margaret didn't believe she could anything worthwhile.

"Help." Margaret echoed, opening her grey eyes slowly. "You want to help me? What can you do? You're a child."

"I'm not child! I-"

"You are the key, millenniums old and made into the form of a human, the slayer's sister." Margaret cut Dawn off. "Now, you are a guide to one of our best warriors. But…that doesn't change the fact that you are in the form of a teenaged girl and, as long as you are, I cannot find it in myself to expect you to contribute in any way, shape, or form, nor can I trust you enough to do so either."

* * *

Cordelia closed the door to her hotel room and paced the length of the room. Angel had been gone for approximately two days by now. And she was worried, appropriately so. The First was after Angel for a specific reason, whether it be to use him, of to kill him, and either way, it wasn't a good thing for Angel or the side of good.

There was a knock on her door and she went to answer it, revealing a nervous Fred who entered quickly. Cordelia closed the door behind her. "What's going on, Fred?"

"I just-you ever get the feeling that-that maybe all of this isn't right? That things are off kilter?" The older brunette asked nervously.

Cordelia looked at Fred. "You mean…like there are places we shouldn't be, things that are, that it's going too fast, happening to quickly to be right? 'Cause if you do, I'm right there with you on the 'this is wrong' train, set to crash any moment now."

Fred nodded. "Do you-I've been thinking a lot, y'know, 'bout where we were headed and stuff…and I was happy with Gunn…at least I think I had been. And then Katherine told me that there was something deeper and in a period of nearly a year, I'm suddenly with Wesley."

Cordelia looked at Fred in something akin to awe. "You think it's Katherine…that she changed things…maybe even messed with the order of things."

Fred sighed, looking at Cordelia. "Yeah. I do, actually. Is that wrong?"

"No. I'm pretty sure you're right."

* * *

"It's kinda funny when you think about it," Buffy said. "Well, okay, maybe not 'ha ha' funny, but still….kinda funny."

"What?" Spike looked at Buffy with a bit of confusion as they walked through the cemetery alone, holding hands and waiting for at least **one** vampire to show up and make this trek through the gravestones have a point.

"Dawn hates Faith, Margaret thinks Dawn's useless, and no one thinks we can get Angel back from the First Evil." Buffy said. "Including Katherine."

"Right then. So, I'm assuming you have a plan to fix that."

"Duh, I do. I just have to wait for the right moment, Will, and Xander to put it into action."

* * *

"Angelus, I bet you think you've seen a real vampire," the First said in the vestige of the Master, while a clawed hand reached out of the seal. "I bet you think you **are** a real vampire. Well, you're wrong."

The monster lifted itself out of the seal.

"**This** is a **real** vampire, Angelus. You could learn a thing or two from it."

Angel didn't bother with an answer, glaring at the First hatefully as it morphed into Drusilla. "Oh, but don't worry, Angel. I'm sure my beautiful pet won't mind helping. The stars whisper he will…oh, yes, it will be **so** beautiful…"

"You're not Drusilla," it was hoarse, but it was there.

The First kept the form, but dropped the insanity and laughed a little maniacally, a chipper smile on its face as it said, "No, I'm really not."

"You know, I made Dru crazier than you." Angel retorted, a smirk quickly forming on his face.

"Oh…" the First's eyes widened and it put a wounded look on its face. "Daddy's not being nice. Miss Edith says to punish him." It barked, much like Drusilla would've. "Bad doggie…he deserves no presents."

An idea came to the First as it watched Angel. "No more cake for you," a sinister smile crossed its face. "But a lot of pain."

* * *

"It's a Christmas tree lot in December." Buffy commented as she and Katherine entered the vacant space. They, as in the Powers That Be, had told Katherine (well, given her a hint), as to where to look for Angel, and so, there they were, searching.

"I noticed…" Buffy started carefully. "We haven't really talked since you came back."

"Yeah, we did. There was that thing at your house before it went pear shaped and not to forget-"

"I'm not stupid, Katherine." Buffy stopped walking to turn and look at Katherine very seriously. She didn't blink once as she said, "You don't just fall out of love after eight months."

And there it was, out in the open. Katherine's worst nightmare as of late, the thing she was so awfully afraid of was happening.

"Did Xander tell you?"

"Why does it matter?"

"So, he did then?" She'd kill him. She'd absolutely kill-

"He hinted."

"Bastard." Katherine said hatefully. She sighed. "Does it really matter whether I am or not?"

"Not if you don't want it to." Buffy replied after a long moment.

"Good. I don't." The started to walk again. "I can't believe this all started a month ago."

_Nice topic change_, Buffy thought and hoped Katherine didn't catch it as she responded with a "Yeah-." Her reply was cut off with a scream as the wood leading to an underground hole broke under her and she fell through.

Katherine didn't think twice, though she did roll her eyes, and jumped down after Buffy, landing silently on the ground as Buffy stood and brushed herself off.

"What do you think is down here?"

"Dunno. Not really in the mood t'find out." The demi-god was slammed into the wall by a monster she couldn't see, all the air knocked out of her lungs. It disappeared into the shadows of the cave as Buffy helped her to her feet.

The slayer scanned the dark cavern, eyes narrowed. She felt a slight movement to her right and spun to punch the demon, only for it to grab her throat and tossed her back into the same wall it had sent Katherine into. She groaned as she stood and looked over at Katherine.

"Spoke too soon?"

"Oh, yeah, maybe just a bit." Katherine murmured sarcastically as she eyed their attacker, her vision slowly adjusting to the dark. She didn't like what she saw. "Shit."

"What?"

"The demon. It's a goddamn Turok Han." Katherine fell into a sloppy fighting stance and then ducked out of the way of an attack from the creature. Buffy did the same, but looked extremely confused.

"Kat, what the hell is a Turok Han?"

* * *

"It's most the primal species of vampires. The First. The strongest. Stronger than you half-breeds. Pure demon. Untamed and pure. A mere sliver of wood wouldn't harm them." The First said conversationally as the Turok Han beat Angel. "You should feel privileged that my baby wants to teach you everything it knows."

"Go…" Angel spit blood and glared at the entity. "To hell."

The malicious smile on Buffy's face became Darla's. "Been there, didn't remember…or did I not tell you that? I swear, Dru is something. She's better to me than you **ever** were, that's for sure. " It hitched up its skirt slowly. "She does everything to please her Darla. To please me."

It let the skirt drop and watched the Turok Han reach for a cross, smiling as it barely burned the hideous thing.

"Now, enough about me and more about you. Screaming."

_To be continued..._


	19. The Almighty I Can Kick Your Ass

**Summary:** The joys of a team falling apart. Stacy Lynn proves herself to be alpha female while Katherine and Buffy are both gone. The team finds out the worst of their problems. Margaret makes large progress with Giles. The gang starts to have conversations with dead people, and Katherine finds out whose fault it is that her parents were killed. Things are going to get ugly.

**Chapter Nineteen: The Almighty I Can Kick Your Ass (Pretending)**

"You know what I think?" Trixie asked suddenly, dropping into a seat at the reading table.

"No one actually cares what you think." Kennedy commented harshly; God, was she feeling irritable.

"I think I need to get on the first flight back to Paris." Trixie continued as if Kennedy hadn't opened her mouth.

"You **would** give up, wouldn't you? All that talk about fighting your damndest was a load of bull, huh?" Jess asked, her eyebrow raised challengingly.

"We're not at the club, **Jessie**. Stop acting like you're the champ." Trixie retorted, eyes narrowed.

"You know what **I** think? Everyone should just shut up." Dawn jumped in as she came down from the loft with a book at hand. Having to deal with Margaret treating her like she was as deserving as Faith was getting to her.

"How about **you** put a sock in it?" Kennedy then said.

That was how the argument started. The four girls had escalated to the point of standing in some sort of circle, yelling at the top of their lungs.

Then Fred showed up, coming out of Giles' office and looking more than just a little annoyed. Actually, she had been quite tolerant, waiting an entire nine minutes before saying anything. "We're trying to research!"

"For what?" Trixie asked. "We're going to **lose**. And die. Everyone."

"You don't know that, so shut up." Dawn said. "Stop pretending you know the future."

"You don't have to know the future; all you have to know is common sense." Trixie said sardonically.

Spike entered from the training room, heard the yelling and made his only and quickest U-turn, Gunn following him almost immediately.

"You know what I think?" Stacy Lynn asked. "I think you're all a bunch of scared people, taking it out on each other because you don't think anyone else is as scared as you are. Well, I have news for you. **Get** **over** **it**. We don't have time for stupid, whiny, ridiculous arguments, nor the 'oh why don't you back off, blah'-"

"What? Are you the almighty Queen of Answers?" Jess asked.

Stacy Lynn glared her way, because really, she was just as annoyed as everyone else. She tried to be the voice of reason, and that was what she got for her trouble.

"No. I'm more the Almighty I Can Kick Your Ass than anything else, but feel free to call me whatever you want."

* * *

"I found a mention on Tur-no…wait. It's an Old One." Margaret stated as she sat on Giles' desk (he of course wasn't anywhere near it), flipping through pages.

"Which one?" Wesley asked with interest. When was Fred coming back in after stopping the fight?

"Um…Illyria. Peculiar. This information shouldn't be out in the open like this. This book is erroneous." She said.

"I beg to differ." Giles scoffed. Of course he didn't think any of his books could be wrong.

"You would. But it is; information on how to bring back an Old One as terrible as Illyria shouldn't be out in the open." Margaret responded.

"You say that as if you've seen her in action." Giles said.

"Well, I can only imagine," Margaret replied quickly as Wesley excused himself to go find Fred.

She slowly closed her book and placed it beside her on the desk. She pushed herself off the furniture and neared Giles. "Are you still nervous?"

The watcher jumped and Margaret got the feeling that, yes, he was still nervous. He whirled to face her. "Must you do that?"

"Yes, actually." Margaret replied. "It's not as if it really bothers you."

"Yes, it does. A lot, I must add."

"Right. I'm more than a few decades old, Rupert. I don't have time to sit around playing games. So, I'll be straightforward once more." Margaret paused for flair and gave him a slight smile. "I'm going to kiss you."

"Margaret-"

She leaned forward and pressed her lips on his, as a chaste kiss. She'd only been experimenting, testing, but he held her there, deepened the kiss.

Margaret was getting older, just like Giles. They were past their golden years where they could have fun and play with serious topics. They weren't always going to feel immortal and they definitely weren't getting younger. They were the adults. So, maybe, it was a natural thing for Margaret to be attracted to the one person that acted like her.

They parted for air and Margaret instantly smiled. "Are you done pretending?"

There was something about her asking that, or maybe it was the way she asked that, that made him smile. "I believe so."

They kissed again, slow and sweet, before the racket outside and the sound of a thump met their ears.

"Later?" Margaret asked, ironically almost feeling young.

"Later." Giles confirmed.

Margaret left the office, followed by Giles. They were just in time to see Stacy Lynn standing over Jess, flexing her fist, as the other girl remained unmoving.

"That felt good." She said, smirking. "**Real** good."

* * *

Buffy was in the worst shape between the two as they entered the ship. Katherine had cuts and bruises, but they were all healing. Buff's arm hurt beyond the usual and if it wasn't for the fact that she'd only landed on it three times, she'd think her arm was broken-Katherine had assured her it was only sprained.

"Ow. Ow. Ow!" She yelled as Dawn or someone jarred the damaged limb.

"Buffy, what the hell happened?" Spike asked, concern apparent as he crossed to her side to inspect her arm.

"Something prehistoric kicked our asses." Buffy replied with a small smile sent her husband's way.

"Katherine, what happened?" Giles asked the demi god.

Katherine looked at him from staring at Jess who sat holding her jaw. "Yeah, um, findin' Angel isn't out only problem." The blonde answered. "There are Turok Hans."

Buffy found no comfort in the fact that the two words that came out of Giles's mouth next weren't dear, or Lord. More like something she'd find Spike muttering in this situation, which, of course, he was.

"Okay, so what are Turok Hans?" Xander asked, eager looks form the others adding to the situation.

"Please, fill me in. I fought it and I'm still in the dark." Buffy added.

Anya explained with a grimace, "Turok Hans are the worst, strongest, most sinister, primal vampires ever. They're the first vampires. Something to be feared and awed. **They** are the vampires that **vampires** fear. Banished into the hell mouth millenniums ago. If the first released even a few, it means…well, exactly what Giles said."

* * *

Angel was slowly losing his grip on reality. He couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion anymore. It had become such a thin line. And the First didn't help matters any.

_They'll come._

The First began it's taunting as Spike. "Do you really think we're coming? Because we won't. Why should we risk our own hides just to save yours, Angelus? I like my liveliness just fine, thank you. Besides, you're only a vampire; hardly important. So," it clapped its hands, "let go of your little wish and do the right thing here. Choose my side so this can end."

Spike became Glory. "It's really kind of fun…well, up until the part where one of them kills you…but you already know what that's like, don't you? And, hey, I know you really want it. Want the darkness. Want…"

Glory became ADAM. "…to let go. To be what you are. To become Angelus. Because you think Angelus has the strength, the power…"

ADAM became Mayor Wilkins. "Well, you're wrong, boyo, but good guess. Angelus may be truly evil…like me in condensed form, but he does not have any of the power here. And you should remember that."

Mayor Wilkins became Angelus. "And what you need to realize is that not even I can be as powerful as what's coming. Because you all think that just because I'm the First Evil, I'm just a really old evil power.

Angelus became the Master. "Well, you're wrong. Again. We're going back, Angel. And, are we going back. Before you, before me, to the entire reason for why we even exist."

The master became a happily smiling Buffy. ":'Cause, if you hadn't noticed yet, it's about Power. Who has it, and who doesn't. I have it. I'll always have it. I will keep it. And the reason for this doesn't start with me, no, not the First, Angel. Oh no. It starts…with her. With the Slayer. She shouldn't be here, you know. She should be six feet under, in a coffin, being worm food and enjoying the afterlife."

Buffy became Spike once more. "Now," he smirked and Angel had to hate him more than usual, "If that isn't a shock, I don't believe I know what is."

Angel shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the voices and the faces, and concentrate on one single, unrelenting, thought.

_They'll come.

* * *

_

"My little Tara."

Tara had decided the research in the library at school, as a way to get away from the argumentative group. Once or twice, she'd been ready to shut them all up with a spell, and decided on a more peaceful route.

At this voice, however, she couldn't manage to keep her gasp to herself, disbelieving as she stood and stared at the figure in awe. "Mama? Are you…are you really here?"

"Tara, I'm really here."

A joy she couldn't describe rose within her and she hurried to hug her mother. She stopped when she found that she went through the woman. "What-?"

"I'm not physical on this plane. But, believe me, I'm still here."

"I've missed you so much." Tara said as a tear fell from her eye.

"I missed you too, honey. I have a message, from very important people, Tara." The woman paused. "You can't trust Willow. She's still irresponsible with the magic."

"N-no…she's…she's better. Katherine helped her get better."

"The end is coming, Tara. You have to be ready for it. You can't let love get in the way."

"I…I can't kill her." Tara disagreed.

"You have to. Otherwise you and your **bitch** can burn in hell!"

Tara backed away from the bodiless spirit. "You're…you're not my mother."

"I'm…I'm not, am I?" She asked mockingly. "But, I had you fooled there for a while, didn't I? C'mon and tell me I did. It'll make my day." The First grinned.

Tara grabbed her things haphazardly, not paying the First any mind. She ran through the doors at the words, the voice light and teasing, a mockery, "You can't always trust your heart, Tara, honey!"

* * *

"It's amazing what not having a past can do for you." The First said, appearing on Margaret's bed. The redhead snorted. "You know exactly what I'm saying, don't you?"

"I'm the pastless one. What did you expect? And, aren't there people for you to haunt?" Margaret asked.

For no obvious reason, the First began to laugh, in the form of Tracy. Margaret glared. "What's so funny?"

"You. And the watcher. And your horrid middle-aged romance. My God, you're no Jennifer Calendar. Not even Joyce Summers. You're only the third on the list. And then you'll die and he can move on."

"What makes you think I'm serious about him?"

"Everything." The First hopes off the bed. "I mean, for all your centuries of life, you'd think you'd realize that your entire relationship, he'll just compare you to them. To the women that came before you. Can you really handle that? Every single choice you make, you are compared to two dead women. Oh, hey, does that bother you?"

By the stormy look on Margaret's face, the First got Its answer and disappeared, grinning at the redhead innocently.

* * *

"They like to keep things from you. For y'own good, they say."

Katherine continued to walk down the street. "You aren't my mother. Piss off."

"I could tell you who killed me. You want to now that, don't you? Especially since they're still alive." The First said, following.

It got the reaction it wanted. Katherine stopped and turned around. "They're not dead?"

"No." It smiled softly as it saw the emotions play across Katherine's face. "A rival coven made a wish to certain ex-vengeance demon **you** know and love. She granted it, and _voila_, orphan Kat."

"Anya." Her voice was toneless as the truth of it all came to her.

"_The simplest wish I ever granted. It was a favor. I killed a witch and her small time husband." Anyanka told her, a grin on her face._

_Katherine frowned. "Sounds more weird than simple."_

"Yes."

Katherine's jaw ticked and she shut her eyes, as if not to show the evil in her mother's form just how it affected her to find out that her oldest friend had killed her parents. Anya killed her parents. Had bragged about it, even.

"Now, what do you say?" The First asked as Katherine turned her back on it slowly and began to walk away.

Katherine paused. It sounded so much like her mother; she couldn't help her answer. "Ta, mum." She closed her eyes again.

"And…what do you do?" The voice took a sinister and dark turn…too unusual for the soul it had once belonged to.

A curling black cloud surrounded Katherine's heart and gripped it. She only had one thought: _Anya killed them. **Anya** killed them_.

Katherine's lavender eyes snapped open, her hair's color changing. "Kill that bitch."

* * *

"Well, you must be happy."

Willow looked up and stumbled off her bed to see Warren Mears standing before her. She was pretty sure that Katherine had killed him a half a year ago.

"Not having to feel that pang of guilt. Not having to be called a murderer. No, because a demi-god changed things. So, you couldn't kill me. I'm not really torture on your soul. But, I just felt I had to remind you that if it wasn't for that blonde bitch I'd have killed your precious Tara."

Willow took a deep breath, reminding herself that Katherine killed him months ago and that it didn't matter anymore. That he was dead and nerve coming back and, most of all, he was **dead**. She really hoped her eyes weren't turning black.

"You need to realize that you're dark. Always will be. Nothing, not even changing fate, will take that away." Willow shut her eyes. "I mean, just think about what happened with Rack. You wanted the darkness. You still do."

Warren became Buffy before her very eyes. "You have to end this, Will. Before it's too late. Before you hurt us all, like you hurt me. Before you kill us…kill yourself."

Her eyes shot open, not quite the inky black of before, but not quite the pure white Katherine was capable of. "Leave me alone!" Her words held power, a power that was unknown to her where it originated from. But it was there.

The First gave a smile, disappearing. Willow waited for it to be gone to slump to the floor, shaken beyond measure.

* * *

"My poor Spike. Not my dark prince anymore. He's been touched by the light. If I reach out, I'll burn. Burn…burn…burn to dust. No more princess."

Spike looked at the soulless being with much annoyance. "You know, I don't have anything traumatic enough to bother me with at the moment, so why waste your time?"

"You may be right." It paused. "But I just wanted to give you a heads up. Katherine found out about Anya, courtesy of _moi_."

It only took Spike a moment before he backed away and ran off in the direction of the apartment.

* * *

"Where does she get the money for all of this?" Faith asked, looking at Katherine's living room, with respect.

"That's a real obvious way to change the topic." Stacy Lynn replied. "But, yeah, I don't have a clue."

"I'm just…confused."

"I get what you're saying." Stacy Lynn said. "And if there's anything I've learned in one hundred and two years, it's to let it all go."

"I can't. Dawn's…she's Buffy's sister. And she hates me, with good reason-"

"Tell her to hate Spike. Tell her to hate Anya, and Katherine, and Angel, and everyone else she still loves, even though at some point they tried to kill Buffy-or will."

"It's not that easy."

"No it isn't, it is?" Stacy Lynn replied. She didn't know what to do for Faith. Dawn was adjusting to the fact that Faith wasn't evil to anyone else anymore and Faith would have to wait out the teenager's acceptance.

"I'm gonna get a soda and food. How's pizza sound?" Stacy Lynn asked.

"Pizza?" Faith raised an eyebrow.

"It's Charlie's fault." The vampire defended. "And Spike's."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, okay then."

"Be back." Stacy Lynn, grabbing her jacket and heading to the door. One hand on the knob, she said, "Oh, and Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"Dawn can't see it yet…but you're doing just fine."

Faith smiled a bit, grateful for Stacy Lynn's words. The door closed behind the brunette vampire and Faith sat back, closing her eyes.

"I'd say better than fine, you know. I'd say that you're doing a real bang up job."

Faith's eyes shot open to see the First looking at her, the form of the Mayor haunting her. "Get out."

"Well, gosh. I think a 'hello' or a 'nice to see you' might be a little more welcome. It's the end of humanity, Faith, not the end of courtesy." The First said with a smile.

"You're wasting your time. I know who you are. What you are." Faith really wished Stacy Lynn would hurry back. She had a bad feeling about this conversation.

"Yeah, nobody's explained to you how this works, have they? You see, I am part of the First, as you kids call it, but I am also me. Richard Wilkins the Third (III), late mayor and founder of Sunnydale. Here; I'll prove it to you." The First said. "Ask me a question only I know the answer to. Something like…where did I hide the moon pies in my office, or who was my favorite character in _Little Women_. Meg. I know! Most people guess Beth, but Meg, she's such a proper young lady. Remember when Jo burned her hair?"

Faith stood up. "I know what you're doing and it's not going to work." She then shrugged. "But feel free to keep talking, 'cause, hell, I could listen to you yap all night. Well, not all night. You might have to leave when Stace gets back. I think she might listen for five minutes tops before telling you to shut the fuck up."

"Hey, hey, hey. Language. You're a Champion now, aren't you? You keep throwing around the h-e-double hockey sticks and the f-u's and pretty soon the younger ones are going to pick up on it. Like Dawn. Then what?"

"Hey, you let me worry about Dawn." Faith idly wondered if anyone else was having a conversation with a dead person tonight.

"Of course, of course. You're doing a great job there, aren't you, Faith? Though, you know, Buffy just might wise up and feel the same way her little sister does."

"Buffy wouldn't do that."

"Why are you protecting her? You think she cares about you. She nearly killed you, Faith. Not that I'm surprised. You do keep trying to kill her boyfriends. First Angel, then Spike. And they protect you from her. A girl has to wonder…"

"It's different now." Faith said insistently.

"Or are you just hoping it is? No matter what you do, Buffy will always see you as a killer, not as a person. All she needs is an excuse and she'll finish what she started when she stuck that knife in your belly. You stay on guard, Faith. Buffy's dangerous. If you're not careful, she'll destroy you. And I'll watch."

* * *

Buffy sat next to Dawn on the couch, handing her the bowl of popcorn. Spike had volunteered to scout some place for Angel, so the two were taking to opportunity to enjoy a sisterly bonding night.

Both were alarmed when a white light flooded the room and Joyce appeared with a distressed look on her face. The two girls squinted, covering their faces with their forearms. "Buffy, Dawn, please, don't-"

"Mom?" Dawn asked, concerned when the light suddenly faded and she disappeared, flickering back, much calmer than before.

Buffy grabbed Dawn's arm and yanked her back, noticing the difference between this Joyce and the glowing one. "Get out."

"Buffy, don't tell me you can't say 'hi' after nearly two years?"

"Buffy, it's mom! What's wrong with you! Buffy, stop being psycho and let go of me!" the teenager screeched, yanking her arm away.

Buffy grabbed her again. "Dawn, it's not mom."

"Of course, it's mom! Why wouldn't it be?" Dawn stepped back from her sister again.

"It's the First." Buffy answered, the thought occurring to her.

Joyce faded into Buffy, her attention focused on Dawn. "Y'know, you should listen to me, Dawn. I'm always right. Well, not always, but mostly. It's a gift."

Buffy turned into Spike. "The end's coming, and you, my two beautiful Summers women, will not be batting for the same team." It smirked at the looks of distrust the sisters gave each other. "From beneath you, It devours. From underneath, I will come."

It disappeared.


End file.
